The Hollywood-gossip grapevine is buzzing over bad blood between actor-producer Mark Wahlberg and director David O. Russell, the creative team behind last year’s boxing drama “The Fighter.” They have apparently fallen out over Wahlberg’s role in a new film, “The Silver Linings Playbook“ (whose title may yet prove prophetic).
“One of the most enduring friendships in Hollywood—and one that led to the Oscars this year—has dissolved in acrimony,” wrote TheWrap.com last week. The “Hollywood heavyweight” was apparently PO’ed that Russell decided to cast red-hot Bradley Cooper, and not Wahlberg, for the “Silver Linings” lead.
“They went with Brad Cooper because they felt he was hungrier and would work for cheaper,” a source said. The fight apparently began over the summer. “Wahlberg’s deal provided that he was to be paid an additional $900,000 if Anne Hathaway fell out of the project,” writes The Wrap. “Hathaway did indeed drop out, making Cooper the less expensive option to Wahlberg.”
The prolific performer has starred for Russell in “Three Kings“ and “I Heart Huckabees,” but he is apparently so annoyed at losing the role that he and the director have cut all ties. This would appear to complicate plans for a sequel to “The Fighter.”
Russell is no stranger to clashes with his actors. He infamously fought with George Clooney on the desert set of “Three Kings” and a YouTube clip of him screaming and bellowing at an aggrieved Lily Tomlin on the “Huckabees” set went viral several years ago.
None of the parties involved have yet to issue a comment. In the meantime, “Silver Linings” began filming earlier this month with Robert De Niro, Jennifer Lawrence and Jackie Weaver opposite Cooper. And Wahlberg has nearly half-a-dozen films lined up for the next couple of years.
CLICK HERE for Russell’s flip-out on the set of “Huckabees” -and-
CLICK HERE for a frustrated Tomlin utterly losing her patience in another “Huckabees” behind-the-scenes clip.