Wahlberg’s Kids Think His Past is ‘Cringe’ – But His Son Is Rocking the Marky Mark Look

Mark Wahlberg may be a Hollywood icon, but to his kids, he’s just Dad—and a deeply embarrassing one at that. The actor recently opened up about how his four children—Ella, 21, Michael, 18, Brendan, 16, and Grace, 15—find his Marky Mark-era fashion and past antics utterly mortifying. Yet, in a twist of irony, one son has quietly adopted the very ‘90s look that once made Wahlberg a heartthrob.

“Oh, they’re terribly embarrassed by it,” Wahlberg told Entertainment Tonight, reflecting on his days as the frontman of Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. The hip-hop group, formed in 1991, catapulted him to fame with the hit “Good Vibrations,” complete with shirtless performances and low-slung underwear peeking out of baggy jeans. It’s a style his kids can’t unsee—and wish they never had.

“They’ve seen videos of me performing and they’re mortified,” Wahlberg confessed earlier this year on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. But the cringe doesn’t stop at his music career. “Even the stuff that other people think is, like, cool in 2002, like movies and stuff? ‘Dad, it’s so dumb. Dad, that’s terrible,’” he added, mimicking their unimpressed reactions.

Still, there’s a glimmer of rebellion—or perhaps homage—in the Wahlberg household. “My son the whole time we were on summer break, doesn’t have a shirt on and has his underwear hanging out,” Wahlberg shared with Entertainment Tonight. “He totally stole the look.” Whether it’s a knowing nod to Dad’s past or just teenage defiance, Wahlberg finds it amusing that the apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree.

The kids’ disdain extends beyond his ‘90s wardrobe to his acting chops. During an April interview with TODAY’s Willie Geist, Wahlberg recounted screening his 2022 film Father Stu—a passion project about a boxer turned priest—for his family. He called it “the greatest role” he’s ever played, but his daughter Grace was less than impressed. “Dad, this has got to be the most boring movie I’ve ever seen,” she told him bluntly. For a critically acclaimed performance, it’s a tough review from the home crowd.

But it’s not all eye-rolls and sarcasm. Wahlberg’s sons Michael and Brendan have found common ground with their dad on the golf course. “They’re playing golf and they know that I can play pretty good, so they’re impressed with that,” he told Geist. “And they’re impressed with the relationships that I have with lots of professional athletes.” From teeing off to name-dropping sports stars, these moments offer a rare stamp of approval from his boys.

Despite the roasting, Wahlberg suspects his kids might secretly admire something deeper. “I think they are secretly impressed with my work ethic and my discipline,” he mused. “I’m more driven now and determined than I’ve ever been.” At 53, the actor’s relentless schedule—early mornings, faith-driven routines, and a string of film projects—shows no sign of slowing down, even if it doesn’t always earn him cool points at home.

For Wahlberg, the contrast between his past and present is stark. The shirtless, swaggering Marky Mark of the ‘90s has evolved into a family man who’s as likely to talk about prayer as he is about his latest movie. His kids may cringe at the throwback footage, but that one son rocking the underwear-out look suggests the Marky Mark legacy isn’t entirely lost on them—just repurposed with a teenage twist.

As Wahlberg navigates fatherhood under the scrutiny of his toughest critics, he’s taking it in stride. Their brutal honesty keeps him grounded, even as he laughs at the irony of his own style coming full circle. In the Wahlberg house, the ‘90s may be “terrible” to some, but they’re still sneaking into the next generation—one sagging waistband at a time.