Martin Scorsese Had To Convince Mark Wahlberg To Star in His 91% RT Crime Thriller Masterpiece

5 days ago 6

Published Apr 9, 2026, 11:17 AM EDT

Billy is a Senior Features Author for Collider. Having written over 300 articles in just over a year, Billy regularly covers the biggest TV shows and films releasing while also analysing some of the most underrated properties that may slip your attention.
Having studied for an MA in Screenwriting at UAL in 2023, Billy honed his writing skills and also developed his ability to critique the work of other creative minds.
Before that, Billy studied politics at the University of Nottingham, which helped him to bring nuanced and scholarly analysis to the frameworks within which filmmakers and writers have framed their thematic messages.

The Departed is rightfully considered one of the greatest—and most distinctive—gangster films ever made. The tale of paranoia, betrayal, and violence doesn't just mess with several of the characters' heads, but the audience's too, as we never know whether someone is safe or not. On top of that, the film features one of the most impressive casts ever, ranging from Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon to Vera Farmiga, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, and Ray Winstone. No matter where you look, large presences fill the screen and command attention. However, things could have been so different, with two of the biggest stars of The Departed originally declining to sign on to the film that would go on to win Best Picture at the 2007 Academy Awards. Yet, both decisions came down to individual meetings with Martin Scorsese, and, when you consider the alternate choices were for the pair's roles, it's a damn good thing that he was able to change their minds.

It may seem like a shock to learn that, when Jack Nicholson and Mark Wahlberg were offered their roles as Frank Costello and Sergeant Dignan, respectively, both men turned them down. Now, it may seem ridiculous to say no to a legendary director like Scorsese, particularly when he is working in a genre that he has had such success with in the past, with films like Casino and Goodfellas. However, both men did have their own reasons that seemed valid at the time.

For Jack Nicholson, the issue was a lack of connection with the role he would be playing. In an interview with Variety, Nicholson explained that he didn't want to play Costello, "because the character didn't really exist." Without seeing the exact script that Scorsese gave Nicholson, it's impossible to truly know what he meant by that, but it would appear that the role was simply too rough for Nicholson to commit to. For Wahlberg, one could argue the reason was slightly more self-explanatory. According to an interview with GQ, Wahlberg explained that he "wanted a different part" and didn't seem to connect with the character of Dignan.

Blended image showing Mark Wahlberg in The Departed with a quote in the background.

However, on both occasions, it was a meeting with Scorsese in person that changed his mind. Nicholson claimed it was "Leo [DiCaprio] and Marty [who] talked me into it. I guess you can say I was attracted to the company.” For Wahlberg, Scorsese seems to have tempted him by getting him to "look at what you get to do with all these people," which likely refers to the outlandish and insulting lines Wahlberg would get to direct at the aforementioned heavy hitters throughout the cast. In both cases, it seems to be Scorsese’s openness to letting his actors improvise and create the characters with their own input that got them on board. Wahlberg "talked to him about improvising," and Nicholson claimed that "Marty is very free with his ideas and very receptive to yours. We built this character layer by layer," showing the director’s skill at handling big names.

Mark Wahlberg and Jack Nicholson Are Perfect in Their Roles in 'The Departed'

In the end, it’s perfect that they said yes, as the other choices simply don't fit the roles. Ray Liotta revealed in an interview with Business Insider that he was almost Dignan, and there are unconfirmed rumors that Al Pacino was initially considered by Scorsese for Frank Costello. However, while both are great actors, considering both Pacino and Liotta’s typically loud and explosive acting styles, these wouldn’t have worked as well as Wahlberg’s blunt and understated rudeness, as well as Nicholson’s quiet menace.

Overall, these stories show how Hollywood is a myriad of decisions that could have so easily gone in a different direction, with butterfly effects that most can't even begin to unravel in their minds. Without Nicholson and Wahlberg, The Departed simply isn't the same film we have today. It may still have been a masterpiece, but it would have been a different one from the product we got and all loved. In the end, it landed exactly where it should have. Definitely not for the characters in The Departed.