Mark Wahlberg has no regrets over his family's big move to Las Vegas. Speaking to PEOPLE Magazine, the actor revealed that his wife, Rhea Durham, and four children – Ella, 20, Michael, 17, Brendan, 15 and Grace, 14 – are now happily settled in Nevada.
"It's a place where my kids can thrive and do their thing and pursue their interests," he told the publication. Prior to the move, the family had resided in California, but after noting that he'd "only made a couple of movies" in the region, Mark became determined to relocate to Las Vegas.
"After this gubernatorial election, hopefully we go to legislation and get a bill passed so we can get tax credits for the state, build a state-of-the-art studio here and make this Hollywood 2.0," he revealed on The Talk in October 2022.
"To be able to give my kids a better life and follow and pursue their dreams — whether it be my daughter as an equestrian, my son as a basketball player, my younger son as a golfer — this made a lot more sense for us," Mark explained.
Speaking to Parade in December, the A-lister added that by living and working in Nevada, he's also been able to slow down and spend more time with his family. "Acting and movies in general are taking me all over the world, which has been a pro and a con," he said.
"Now being a dad, I've had to be away from my family for quite some time. So, the idea of building a studio here in Nevada, being able to work from home…I didn't say that I want to stop acting but [slow down] the pace that I was working at and being pulled to locations all over the world. I shot in London, Croatia and also Australia. Those aren't the kinds of locations where you can go home for the weekend. I prefer to be able to drive to work rather than having to fly miles."
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For Mark, his number one priority will always be his family. "I want to give my kids the world, but I also want them to appreciate everything, to succeed, to be good people, to enjoy life," told the Bost Common. "This is my most important role. If I fail at this, I fail at everything."
While fans are used to Mark's 'tough guy' persona, the actor admits that he's got a soft spot when it comes to his kids. "I think of myself as strict, though I can be a pushover," he revealed. "If my kids want something, they can usually get it. But they're not getting away with stuff."