Mark Wahlberg on Leaving L.A. for Las Vegas and Whether He Would Come Back: “I Always Miss It”

Mark Wahlberg rolls deep.

Before the veteran actor, producer, entrepreneur and early morning riser (who famously hits the gym before dawn) hit the carpet for Monday’s world premiere of his new Netflix action drama The Union, Wahlberg’s presence could be seen and felt. Party planners parked a Wahlburgers truck in the lot behind Hollywood’s Egyptian Theatre where servers were loading up trays filled with offerings from the Wahlberg family’s fast food chain. Meanwhile, out front on the carpet, members of his entourage and inner circle (including longtime manager and business partner Stephen Levinson) roamed the press line decked out in tees, jackets, pants and kicks from Wahlberg’s growing apparel brand Municipal.

The 53-year-old, who stars opposite Halle Berry in the Julian Farino-directed flick, then arrived to the scene, dressed in head-to-toe Municipal like an off-duty movie star in the dog days of August in a white tee-shirt, utility pants and Origin sneakers. In terms of rolling deep, Wahlberg did something he hadn’t done in nearly a decade by posing with (nearly) his entire clan including longtime wife Rhea and three of their four children, Grace, 14, Brendan, 15, and Michael, 18. (Daughter Ella, 20, is reportedly away at college.)

More than two years ago, the family moved to Las Vegas where Wahlberg has been busy planting deep roots with plans to make the desert community a “Hollywood 2.0,” thanks to an ambitious studio project in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment and Howard Hughes Holdings. Per The Las Vegas Review-Journal, the plans, which were approved by the Clark County Zoning Commission, call for a $1.8 billion movie studio and mixed-use development in the Vegas suburb of Summerlin.

During a brief interview with The Hollywood Reporter on The Union carpet, Wahlberg was happy to cover the broad strokes of his growing empire that also includes, of course, two production companies, Closest to the Hole and Unrealistic Ideas, along with Municipal, a tequila brand, Flecha Azul, a chain of gyms and world-class training hubs, F45, a grooming line and more.

“We’ve got some high expectations,” Wahlberg told THR. “We want to build a Lululemon, Nike, Disney — we want to build it all. We’re in film, television, tech, fitness, grooming, everything — you name it.”

Wahlberg’s appearance in Los Angeles came a little more than a month after he and his Municipal partners Levinson and businessman Harry Arnett opened the brand’s first brick-and-mortar store on retail mecca Melrose Avenue. Wahlberg said expansion plans are “through the roof,” and in previous interviews, the partners have said that 10 stores are coming over the next two or three years with a showroom set to open imminently in Carlsbad, California.

“There isn’t anywhere you can’t start,” Wahlberg continued. “Imagine where you can go if you’re willing to bet on yourself. If you have a dream, you have a plan and you’re willing to go out there and hustle and work hard, anything is possible.” The words carried extra weight because he was covered in Municipal, and he had a few more about why he wears the pieces (priced at $30-180) with such enthusiasm. “It’s the highest quality at a great value proposition for every man. We want them to spend more money on themselves; they deserve it because they work hard. They should look good and feel good.”

Regarding the studio plans for Summerlin, Wahlberg was equally optimistic that with some hustle in getting a tax credit passed in the Nevada legislature, it could be a boon for the local economy. A previous bill never made it to the House floor, though a lawmaker reportedly will introduce a new tax credit plan next year.

“The entire city and most of the state relies on tourism and gaming, so this would create another industry that will instantly create 10,000 new jobs, and take the average salary from 65,000 to 165,000 and probably create 10,000 new single family homes instantly,” he explained. “And we want a 10-year tax credit. We want to build a state of the art studio. I’ve already shot two movies in Vegas, so I know the talent pool that’s there both in front of and behind the camera, and they’re very, very receptive. We’ve already got the plans approved. The last step is getting the tax credit approved at a special session with the legislature.”

Business aside, the bulk of headlines about Wahlberg over these past two years have focused on his family’s exit from Los Angeles in favor of Las Vegas. They lived in a luxury townhouse at the Summit Club, which they flipped for $16.6 million, per People, before moving into a new home in the area.

When asked by THR to open up about what his life is like after a few decades in L.A., he was reflective for a moment, while scanning the red carpet scene and sunny summer skies. “I mean, I got to tell you that I miss it right now standing here,” he said. “I always miss it. I loved it [here]. But raising teenagers who are growing, I wanted to make sure that they’re put, first and foremost, in a good, safe, healthy environment where they can thrive, pursue their interests and goals and go after what they want to do in life. We could always come back.”

That’s not to say they aren’t loving Las Vegas. “We like Vegas, too. Vegas is cool. You hear Las Vegas and you think of the Strip. When I think of Las Vegas, I think of small tight-knit communities with great schools, great affordable housing, great jobs, a booming economy and lots of sports teams coming. It’s a cool place,” he said.

Netflix‘s The Union casts Wahlberg as Mike, a New Jersey man living a simple life as a construction worker until his long-lost high school sweetheart, Roxanne, played by Berry, shows up with more on her mind than romance. Knowing he’s the right man for the job, she recruits Mike on a dangerous intelligence mission in Europe that thrusts them back together into a world of spies and high-speed car chases, with sparks flying along the way. Mike Colter, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Jessica De Gouw, Alice Lee, Jackie Earle Haley and J.K. Simmons round out the cast.

The Union starts streaming on Netflix Aug. 16.