San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec

San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec




San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec

SNEAK PEEK: Five things to know about ‘The Fighter’

Mark Wahlberg, who stars as Micky Ward, trained twice a day to prepare for the physically intense role. Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

By Maggie Pehanick, Entertainment Editor

It’s that time of year again. The last of the summer blockbusters have left theaters, the newest “Harry Potter” is on top of the box office and winter Oscar contenders are queuing up. Leading the pack is next Friday’s release, “The Fighter.”  Starring über Hollywood-heavyweights Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale, “The Fighter” tells the true story of Irish fighter Micky Ward, the underdog who rose to fame in the boxing ring in the early 1990s. Before the movie comes out, brush up on some behind-the-scenes trivia.

1: To prepare for his role as Ward, Wahlberg put a boxing ring in his Beverly Hills home. The film was in production for more than two years, so he trained every day, even through roles for other films, in order to stay in shape.

2: Known for immersing himself into his characters, Bale had to lose all the muscle he had gained for his role in the “Batman” movies to play Micky’s drug-addict brother, Dicky Eklund. While native Bostonian Wahlberg already had the accent down, Bale worked with a voice coach to erase every hint of his Welsh accent and perfect the distinct Lowell, Mass. dialect.

3: The real Ward and Eklund played a big part in the filmmaking process. Not only were they on set during production, they lived in Wahlberg’s house for the duration of filming.

4: Wahlberg believed in the script so strongly that he executive produced the film himself. Including his HBO shows “Entourage,” “Boardwalk Empire” and “How to Make It in America,” this marks the former Calvin Klein underwear model’s eighth turn as producer.

5: After casting Amy Adams as Micky’s love interest, Director David O. Russell remarked that she “looked like a girl who couldn’t throw a punch.” After several boxing lessons to prepare for her own fight scene, he confessed he was wrong about her.

“The Fighter” hits theaters Dec. 10. For more information on the movie, visit

thefightermovie.com and look for The Daily Aztec’s review in next week’s issue.

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San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913
SNEAK PEEK: Five things to know about ‘The Fighter’