he didn't really understand what it was like. >> and my pal jimmy fallon stops by to share his song about nfl sensation tim tebow or tebowie as we've renamed him. this is "piers morgan tonight." ♪ snap the football and may god's love be with me ♪ mark wahlberg's had an extraordinary career. going from the tough streets to a net worth of millions. he's an oscar-nominated actor and producer. my favorite mark wahlberg movie is "boogie nights." he joins me now. i see you raising your eyebrows. did we get it too low? >> no, is there a check someone is holding? my gosh. >> are any of these figures ever true you read about? >> not usually unless it's a divorce settlement and that's pretty spot on. >> your movies have grossed $1.5 million. >> that's good. >> you're not exactly on the bread line, are you? >> no, no, i'm very fortunate, very blessed, thank you. >> you said famously when you got to 40 you would retire and play golf. what happened? you're 40. >> my golf game is crap. it really is. it's bad. you know, i was just working at such a pace that i really felt like i need to figure out ways to spend more time with my family. being off on location is difficult. you know, 50s the new 40 so talk to me in ten years. >> looking at you now, it's hard to remember the rapper marky mark. there you are in your very immaculate suit. the executive haircut. it's all looking pretty grown-up if you don't mind me saying. >> i have a large team that made me over. no, i just, you know, growing up. >> you feel you have? >> yes, in many ways. certainly parenthood and being a husband, you know, forces you to. >> you've had an extraordinary upbringing as i said at the start there. i actually went to boston once. >> and you made it back. >> it felt like tough streets. you know, you've been very honest and open about those days. when you look back on it, how tough was it in reality, do you think? >> well, you know, it depends. i always wanted to be one of the guys. so in order to be one of th guys and have that kind of respect you had to do things that were more dangerous. as soon as i ended up incarcerated, i said this is not the life for me. >> you were a brawler. coke addict at sort of 13, 14. you got into gang stuff. just about everything imaginable. and then you had almost what looks like from the outside to be this kind of huge epiphany. as you say, coming from that prison experience, you were very lucky, you met this catholic priest who guided you. tell me about what was going through your mind. for a lot of people going to prison becomes the start of the rest of their lives and it's not pretty. how did you manage, do you think, to make that break, to get out of that culture? >> well, i had to make the choice personally. then i had to focus on my faith and my faith has really allowed me to overcome a lot of things. and hard work. nothing come easy. especially when you've got your back against the wall and a lot going against you. i wanted to prove to people through my actions, not my words, i was going to change. i was going to make a positive impact on the community i come from. that's why i do so much youth work and, you know, with our foundation and with inner city kids and partnering with taco bell in the graduate to go program. i could not forget about where i came from. and find myself in this position without helping, giving back. >> when that prison door shuts for the first time, and you're in the cell, can you remember how you felt? >> of course. of course. you know, and i was 17 at the time. i was probably about 5'3", 115 pounds. and it was -- it was pretty scary. then again there was a lot of neighborhood guys there. i had a few confrontations. it was really just a matter of, okay, do i want to now get in jail, start getting high. or am i going to focus, start going to church and get out of here and never look back. >> did your behavioral pattern change dramatically when you came out? >> it did. it's also very hard because now you're back into that environment. it's not like all a sudden i could say, well, i grew up in this bad place and i don't want to be around these guys anymore so i'll move to california. you're still in the neighborhood. it makes it more difficult because you're not one of the guys. if you're not with them, you're against them. that can be difficult to the train station, trying to go to work and having a real job, you know. i had to face them. find out who your real friends are. now looking back, those guys have to respect me for what i did, you know. >> rough though it was and tough, what were the things you got from that lifestyle which have been of benefit to you in the new world that you have? >> well that real-life experience is so much more powerful i think in my job, especially as an actor, than anything. also in my business approach, you know. i was always a hustler. i was always a multitasker. even when i was doing stuff and selling drugs. i always kept a real job so my mother wouldn't question me where did i get the money. i had so much real-life experience to draw on. like in this role in "contra band." i always try to find some personal connection to the part i'm playing. when i did "the departed," they said, do you want to meet the cops? i said, i know these cops. let me do my thing. >> are you a very tough negotiator? >> i'm not. i just make sure my agent is. and my manager. i say yes all day long. i don't say no to anybody or anything. >> i've never met you but i get a sense -- i would imagine you can be pretty uncompromising. >> in my belief certainly. in my position when it comes to certain things and my creativity, yes. you know, you do me a favor, i'll do you a favor. i don't like asking for favors. i like giving favors. listen, you got to do whatever you got to do to get the job done. >> do the streets ever leave you? >> no, absolutely not. you don't want them to anyway. you have to be able to have that, to tap back into that, if need be. especially now being a father of four kids, beautiful daughters. >> this is fascinating. the way your life has evolved. you have two sons, two girls. also you have your faith. i've read you go to catholic mass every day. is that right? >> yeah, if i don't go to mass necessarily every day but i definitely go to the church every day. that's how i start my day. 15, 20 minutes, say my prayers. >> what does it bring you? >> a very clear focus on what's important, expressing my gratitude of all the blessings that have been bestowed upon me and i reminder every day of what i need to do and focus on. and what i need to stay away from. >> when you pray, what do you pray for? >> i pray to be a good servant to god, a father, a husband, a son, a friend, brother and uncle. a good neighbor. a good leader to those who look up to me. and a good follower to those who are serving god and do the right thing. people i can look up to and emulate. >> i want to come back and talk about "contra band." i watched it the other night. it's an incredibly raw visceral movie. i want to talk to you about the parallels you said you drew on with your life and the character you play in the film. one chance to hunt down the right insurance at the right price. the "name your price" tool, only from progressive. ready, aim, save! grrr! ooh, i forgot my phone! the "name your price" tool. now available on your phone. get a free quote today. but think about your heart. 2% has over half the saturated fat of whole milk. want to cut back on fat and not compromise on taste? try smart balance fat free milk. it's what you'd expect from the folks at smart balance. try smart balance fat free milk. life with crohn's disease is a daily game of "what ifs." what if my stomach pain and cramps end our night before it even starts? what if i eat the wrong thing? what if... what if i can't make it through dinner and a movie? what if i suddenly have to go? what if... but what if the most important question is the one you're not asking? what if the underlying cause of your crohn's symptoms is damaging inflammation? for help getting the answers you need visit knowcrohns.com/tv and use the interactive discussion guide to speak with your gastroenterologist. somebody didn't book with travelocity, with 24/7 customer support to help move them to the pool daddy promised! look at me, i'm swimming! somebody, get her a pony! [ female announcer ] the travelocity guarantee. from the price to the room to the trip you'll never roam alone. you're going to have to talk me down. >> are you better off? >> one drink away from the worst day of my life. i know i'm not the only one sitting in the circle that's had that same thought, right? that's all you got to do is work the steps. >> i'm not doing another run, no way. >> so i can probably get us money, no problem. it's not going away, chris. >> that's the new film "contra band." you play this reformed smuggler who gets sucked back in. his relative has got sucked into this murky world. >> yeah, it's his brother-in-law. >> you, your character, goes back in to that murky world. >> yes. >> to try to save him. >> my character actually loves the world. it's a thrill. but, you know, he has a wife and two children and his father's doing life in prison for smuggling. and so, you know -- but his brother-in-law's not the sharpest tool in the shed and he's running some drugs for some very dangerous people. and when customs boards the boat, he has to dump it. not only do they want the money, but they want the street value of it. so they threaten to go after me and my kids if he doesn't pay and kill him. they've already killed his friend. and hospitalized him. so i end up going to panama on a container ship. he's very tough and very physical. he's also very smart. help has to do things that are very kind of practical way, all these different things that happen along the way. i thought it was cool. >> he goes through this kind of moral ethical dilemma every step of the way. it's a very raw movie, isn't it? >> i love it that people start asking me, especially journalist, saying, i wonder why i started finding myself rooting for you and you're already a criminal. i say, yeah, but i'm not as bad as the other guys in the movie so you want to root for me. >> also because your character's been sucked in ostensibly for the right reasons, he's trying to help -- >> would you do anything to protect your family? >> it's an interesting moral dilemma. you think about that. how far would you go to help a relative who you loved and cared for in that position. do you know the answer? >> you know, probably be the only reason i'd ever go back to prison, if i had to do something to protect my family and there was no other -- there was no other means of doing it. >> what do your family make of your career path? >> it all depends on which part of my family. >> what are the positive parts and what are the negatives? >> my kids could care less. they hate when people come up to us in public, the paparazzi and stuff like that. my family members are very proud of me. my wife knows how hard i work to provide for our family. and our future. and, you know, they're most proud, you know, my mother and my dad before he passed away, they're most proud of the fact i was committed to my family first, my wife and my children. that was the most important part. >> you hinted before your family, your parents in particular, when they brought you -- you're one of nine kids, they tried to sort of keep you in line. but clearly weren't that successful. what have you learned as a parent from that experience? obviously it's easier for you -- >> my parents both worked two jobs and were never hardly home so we were left to our own deep vices. you go outside and trouble is everywhere. for us, the focus is, a, to keep them busy and to be involved in every aspect of their lives, you know, talk to them about everything. and, you know, it's obviously the most important role that i'll ever play is father and husband and i will not, i will not fail. >> your wife doesn't like you doing sex things. >> yes. nor do i. >> for the character which probably had to have one and you did a deal not to have one but the deal was you would still appear naked on screen. is that right? >> yeah, how'd you hear about that? how'd you hear about that? >> tell me about the deal. >> well, i waited till we were kind of in the film and i kept talking to the director. you know, these guys have been going out for seven years. they don't really have that kind of sex anymore. she's an actress in the movie and she has a sex scene with somebody else that makes me go wild. i fall of the wagon. i ruin her evening. i basically become a complete mess. i was like i don't really think we need that, you know. maybe a kiss but it's not like it's hot and heavy like it was when they met. just kept -- he knew something was up. then they said, you know. then there was this other thing where at the end i have to take a bath and it was just supposed to be a shot of me in the shower and you just saw my head and i'm trying to scrub away all this dirt i've just experienced and cleanse myself before i, you know, go to prison. and so next thing you know that scene became this whole thing, me getting undressed, me standing there stark naked for a good eight hours -- >> the idea was to keep your wife happy. >> i don't like doing it either. she knows i'm very professional. it's just uncomfortable and awkward. i wouldn't want to see her doing that. i don't like doing it. >> you've worked with some of the greats now in hollywood. what have you learned about acting? who do you really rate out there in the acting world? >> daniel day-lewis. russell crowe. denzel washington. >> what does it take to make a great actor? what makes the difference between a good actor and a great actor? >> there are different kind of actors. there are the kind of matinee idols. develop beautiful actors. there are the kind of more real gritty kind of guys i identify with. i grew up watching steve mcqueen, james cagney, john garfield, robert ryan, you know, guys like that. i wouldn't -- i couldn't really connect to the gary gants of the world. for me, it's just somebody that tries to make it real. i think less is more. i think you need to play parts that you're believable in. that helps. >> you said entourage is over. >> very. >> because i'm distraught. >> it was bittersweet. we never thought the show would last that long. the fact it did, almost felt like it will never end. then it came to an end. we're pushing hard to get the movie made. >> people say to me, it can't be like that. i say it is like that. that's beauty of entourage. >> that was the toned down version. certainly of what my life used to be when i was young and crazy. >> what do you think of the basic shallowness of hollywood? the fact that if you're a hot star, everyone's crawling all over you, kissing ass. the moment it goes cold, boom -- >> that's why you need people around you that will keep you grounded. people always say why do you have your friends around like when i'm working on a movie, i like to hire my friends. i want to have somebody i know and trust and that my best interests at heart. >> what's the big dream role for you? have you got one out there that you think, if i get the chance, that's what i want to do. >> i want to play you. no. >> as high as that? lofty ambition? >> i don't know. i haven't really thought about it. >> let's take a little break, come back and talk about your foundation. i want to get into the detail of this. how you're trying to basically stop kids opting out of school is the main tenant of this. when bp made a commitment to the gulf, we knew it would take time, but we were determined to see it through. today, while our work continues, i want to update you on the progress: bp has set aside 20 billion dollars to fund economic and environmental recovery. we're paying for all spill- related clean-up costs. and we've established a 500 million dollar fund so independent scientists can study the gulf's wildlife and environment for ten years. thousands of environmental samples from across the gulf have been analyzed by independent labs under the direction of the us coast guard. i'm glad to report all beaches and waters are open for everyone to enjoy. and the economy is showing progress with many areas on the gulf coast having their best tourism seasons in years. i was born here, i'm still here and so is bp. we're committed to the gulf for everyone who loves it, and everyone who calls it home. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] entune mobile technology. ♪ stronger! ♪ stand a little taller [ male announcer ] stay seamlessly connected to your smart phone. available on the reinvented 2012 camry. from toyota. ♪ when it comes to home insurance, surprises can be a little scary. and a little costly. that's why the best agents present their clients with a lot of options. because when it comes to what's covered and what's not, nobody likes surprises. [ click ] [ chuckles ] we totally thought -- [ all scream ] obscure space junk falling from the sky? we cover that. moving on. aah, aah, aah, aah. [ male announcer ] we are insurance. ♪ we are farmers ♪ bum, ba-da-bum, bum, bum, bum ♪ one of the leading factors in a teen's future success, a high school die mom ma. what can one person do to help? takes just one dollar to create a lasting change in a teen's life. just one person can help empower those teens. that's what one person can do. are you the one? >> public service announcement for mark wahlberg's foundation. you've teamed up here with this. this is to end dropout rates in schools. the stats are incredible. 7,000 kids a day drop out of school. the number one reason, getting a job, supporting themselves or their families. not being able to keep up with school work. boredom. negative peer pressure. lack of support. so a third of these kids that drop out actually it's almost from necessity. they need money. how do you tackle that? as a government? if you're president obama and you're trying to deal with this obviously huge problem what do you do about that problem that part of it, the need to finance a family? >> well, it's extremely difficult. i mean, you know, you look at the economy and the way it is. when i was going to school, i knew how to read, write, add and subtract. i basically said, what else do i need? i've never going to be able to go to college. i'm not going to be able to afford to go to college. i'm not going to get a scholarship. i might as well quit school and start working. i started working at 14. a lot of families are faced with that. especially single parent homes. they have multiple siblings. it's -- i think if i had the answer to that question, i'd be in the office. >> is it a slight problem for you when you face these kids and they know what you did? they said, look at you, you dropped out, now you're this billion dollar movie star. >> i say the odds of you doing that are slim to none so let's start with an education. get an education so you have something to fall back on. if i fail and my career ends tomorrow, i don't have anything else to fall back on. i'm going to to be sending my kids out to work. but they get it. i talk to them very straight forward. my story and then there's 20 million kids and most of my friends are either dead or in jail. and that's the reality. they live in that world so they get it. they know. i also tell them, you know what, if there's anything you want to do, i am proof you can do that. i don't think dropping out of school is the best idea. it's not a sprint. it's a marathon. if you get your education, if you can get the highest education possible, get it. and then figure out what you want to do. if you want to pursue your dreams, go ahead. >> the similarities of your life now and matt damon, he has a big passion for education, as you know. he also has fo