Mark Wahlberg found the Gregory Scarpa story he wanted to tell when he read the screenplay for By Any Means. Some roles seem like an obvious fit the moment you hear the casting, and Wahlberg playing a mafia enforcer certainly sounds like one of them.
In By Any Means, Wahlberg plays Gregory Scarpa, a real-life mafia figure who also became an FBI informant. On paper, it might seem like exactly the kind of complicated, larger-than-life character an actor would immediately want to play.
You might even say getting the opportunity was an offer Wahlberg couldn’t refuse.
Except that’s not what happened.
Wahlberg told us that By Any Means wasn’t actually the first time someone had approached him about playing Scarpa. He had been offered opportunities to take on the role in other projects before, but none of those versions convinced him that it was time to say yes.
What finally changed his mind wasn’t simply the chance to play Scarpa. It was this particular screenplay.
Why this version of the story worked
For Wahlberg, the difference came down to the story being told around the character.
Actors are offered plenty of projects throughout their careers, and a fascinating real-life figure doesn’t automatically make the right movie. The material still has to give an actor something worth exploring, and Mark Wahlberg hadn’t found the right version in the earlier Scarpa projects that came his way.
Then he read the screenplay for By Any Means.
This time, something clicked. Mark Wahlberg discovered a version of Scarpa’s story that finally made him want to take on the role.
Rather than jumping at the chance simply because Scarpa was such an unusual figure, Wahlberg waited until he found a version of the story that made him want to step into the character’s shoes. That’s an interesting distinction, particularly with someone whose life could potentially be approached in many different ways on screen.
It wasn’t Scarpa alone that sold him. It was what By Any Means wanted to do with Scarpa.
That also makes Wahlberg’s involvement more interesting because this wasn’t an actor discovering a historical figure for the first time and becoming fascinated by him. Wahlberg already knew Hollywood was interested in putting Scarpa’s story on screen. He had already been given chances to be part of that process.
Ultimately, Mark Wahlberg chose By Any Means because this was the version that finally convinced him.
Mark Wahlberg found the story worth telling
There’s something refreshing about that.
When a role appears tailor-made for an actor, it’s easy to assume the decision is straightforward. But Wahlberg’s experience with By Any Means shows why the screenplay can matter just as much as the character.
Playing a real person brings its own challenges. Playing someone whose life included both organized crime and a relationship with the FBI gives an actor even more territory to explore. Still, Wahlberg wasn’t interested in doing it just because the role sounded intriguing.
He wanted the right story.
And after turning down previous opportunities involving Scarpa, By Any Means finally gave him one he felt was worth telling.
For audiences, that adds another layer to watching Wahlberg in the film. This wasn’t simply the next role that landed on his desk. It was a character he had encountered before and deliberately passed on until the material convinced him otherwise.
Click on the video below to hear Mark Wahlberg talk about why he finally decided to play Gregory Scarpa in By Any Means.
By Any Means is now playing in theaters.
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