Mark Wahlberg Explains Why He Doesn't 'Force' Religion On His Kids

Mark Wahlberg is not forcing his kids to follow a particular religion, even though he is religious himself, and starts his day with prayers each morning.

"They think Dad’s crazy, and he’s boring," Wahlberg told Today on Thursday. "But even with my faith, I don’t force it on them. But they know that Dad can’t start the day without being in prayer, can’t start the day without reading my Scripture or going to Mass."

Wahlberg, who plays a religious man named Stuart Long in the upcoming movie "Father Stu," further explained that instead of forcing his faith on them, he wants kids to learn about religion on their own.

"And hopefully, instead of forcing that on them, they’ll say, ‘Well, if it works for Dad, maybe it’ll work for us,’ and they’ll kind of gravitate towards it on their own," the 50-year-old actor said.

The official handle of Today shared the interview on Twitter:

In an interview earlier this week, the actor said that he wants to set an example and show his kids how religion helped him.

"I don’t want to force them to do it, because I think they may resent it and push back," Wahlberg told ET on Monday. "So, I’m just trying to be an example and show them that it works for me in all the good things that have happened in my life, including them and their mom, has been provided to me by God, when I was prepared for it and ready for it."

Wahlberg is married to Rhea Durham. The couple share four kids — Ella, 18, Michael, 16, Brendan, 13, and Grace, 12.

On the work front, Wahlberg's upcoming movie "Father Stu" revolves around a washed-up boxer who finds a new purpose as a priest. Slated to release on April 13, the movie is helmed by director Rosalind Ross and also stars Mel Gibson, Cody Fern, Carlos Leal, Faith Jefferies and Winter Ave Zoli.

Wahlberg will also feature in other movies like "Me Time," "Arthur The King," Our Man From Jersey" and "The Six Billion Dollar Man."