At one point in time, Eminem and Mark Wahlberg weren't on the same page. That was especially evidenced by their appearances on TRL together. Wahlberg's entrance and embrace with Eminem was extremely awkward. We're going to take a closer look at what went down between the two. According to Eminem himself, the tension started even before the cameras started rolling. Wahlberg did admit to the tension being very real and on his end, it was initiated for the silliest of reasons.
We'll take a look at went down while revisiting the moment. In addition, we'll reveal how Eminem was able to transition into Hollywood similar to Wahlberg. Though Eminem said the process was a lot harder than those around him suggested, including Wahlberg.
Eminem Was Told Not To Call Mark Wahlberg 'Marky Mark' During Their TRL Interview
Credit to Mark Wahlberg years later as in 2017, the actor admitted that there was in fact tension between himself and Eminem. Wahlberg stated that he hated Eminem for the simple fact that he was a better rapper than he was. Years later, Wahlberg was able to make the reveal, however, that wasn't the case during their time together on TRL. It seemed clear that there was obvious tension between the two.
Although fans noticed that animosity when Wahlberg came out, Eminem revealed that things took place even before the cameras started rolling. Among the requests for Eminem was not to call Wahlberg, 'Marky Mark', given that he was transitioning into the world of Hollywood at the time.
Eminem revealed, "Some dude who works for MTV tells us Mark Wahlberg is coming in, says he’d appreciate it if we don’t call him Marky Mark."
Despite the awkwardness involved, fans praised Eminem for the way he handled things. He could've made a mess of the interview but instead, he decided to keep his calm and was actually complimentary of Mark during their interview.
Eminem Was Unfazed Despite Mark Wahlberg's Awkward Entrance
Mark Wahlberg makes his way into the frame while Eminem is completing his interview. Wahlberg doesn't make any eye contact with the up-and-coming rapper. Instead, he asks Carson Daly where he should stand.
Eminem was instead complimentary of Mark, stating that he wanted to make the same transition into the world of acting similar to Mark. When Wahlberg is asked if Eminem should take acting lessons and if he had any advice, his answer was extremely dry, stating you either have it or you don't. The tense moment can be seen below.
Eminem opened up about other details that took place prior to the interview. Eminem revealed that Wahlberg made a comment before things got underway about there being a tension of some sort.
“Then he comes up and he’s standing on the side when we was off air, and he’s like, ‘What, is there supposed to be some tension in here or something?’ I pretended like I don’t hear him and s***. Then we’re on air and […] I’m like, ‘We’ll just stand around here like one big fun bunch!’ So I threw a stab at him. He didn’t want me to say Mark-y. Probably didn’t want me to say funk-y neither."
Eminem was truthful about his intent to pursue an acting career. In a separate interview, the artist did reveal that making such a transition wasn't easy.
Eminem Would Also Make The Transition Into Acting Like Mark Wahlberg, But Admitted It Wasn't Easy
Eminem Performs At The G-Shock 20th Anniversary Party
Fans are well aware by now that Eminem was able to make the transition and then some. He thrived in the film 8 Mile and could've become a big star, however, he decided to put his emphasis on music instead.
Eminem was given lots of advice about going from rapper to actor. Mark Wahlberg wasn't the only one to share his thoughts. Ice Cube was another name that made the transition. Ice Cube told Eminem that the switch was an easy one, however, Eminem quickly learned that wasn't the case, particularly for himself.
"I think I heard [Cube] say this one time, that if you can rap and you can perform. Like if you can perform to the camera for singing and things like that and videos, it should be a pretty fairly natural transition… But I would say that it's a whole different world, Eminem tells BET.
"It's a whole different thing because you may be used to performing to the camera and you may be used to doing certain things and videos and things like that but it's a whole different ball game when the music is off and you have lines that you need to say and you have things that you need to remember like the lines and remembering and trying to be natural and 'What am I going to do when I say this line?' and 'How can I?' It's different."
Despite the differences, Eminem thrived in the world of acting while turning down major roles along the way.
