Underpants model turned movie beefcake Mark Wahlberg was just too sexy for his role in the movie Rock Star. 

"Heavy metal stars in the '80s weren't really muscular and they couldn't find any Spandex to fit me," he laughs. "I had to starve myself and lose weight."

"There's a duality, a man-child thing about Mark, an innocence and a danger and I think that's a lot of what these rock stars have," says Herek, whose previous movies include Bill And Ted's Excellent Adventure and Critters.

Wahlberg plays a smalltown boy who's roped in to replace the lead singer of metal band Steel Dragon. Rock Star is based on the story of Ripper Owens, who became the lead singer of Judas Priest.

As it turns out, Pitt's wife, Friends star Jennifer Aniston, provides the love interest in the movie.

Besides losing enough weight to squeeze into his leather trousers, Wahlberg learned to sing like a true heavy metal screecher.

Originally, Rock Star was to be titled Metal God, with the title reflecting a darker and dirtier storyline.

"I thought it was important for me to do the real singing," he says, "so I studied with a vocal coach for six months." He also had to quit smoking.

However, in order to obtain the all-important R rating at US cinemas, the sex and drugs were toned down.

The work was vital: Wahlberg did so much screaming and shouting in his previous film, The Perfect Storm, that he almost damaged his vocal cords.

"Stephen (Herek) did an incredible job giving the movie a lot of heart without having to go to extremes," says Mark who played a porn star in Boogie Nights. "There's real emotion and fun but it's not hardcore."

The former rapper (they used to call him Marky Mark) was never a big fan of heavy metal music. He found it strange to immerse himself in the world of trash rock.

The band created for the film, Steel Dragon, features three genuine metal musicians: Jeff Pilson, Zakk Wylde and Jason Bonham. Actor Dominic West played a guitarist. Tunes were penned by the likes of Van Halen's Sammy Hagar.

"I started hanging out with a lot of the bands, I went to a lot of the concerts," he says. "The big thing was figuring out how these guys moved.

It didn't take long for the group of musicians and actors to gel as a unit.

"Once you put on the tight pants and get the hair extensions, all that helps."

"A definite band vibe happened," says Pilson. "After a few weeks these guys were in the studio making the music their own."

Mark Wahlberg has come a long way since his days as a trou-dropping rapper. The last of nine children born to working-class Irish Catholic parents in a three-bedroom apartment in Dorchester outside of Boston, Wahlberg was drawn to the streets at an early age. At the age of 16, he was convicted for his involvement in the beatings of two Vietnamese men. Wahlberg wound up serving a 45 -day jail sentence at Deer Island. What followed was a brief career as a rapper and sometimes stripper, which caught the eye of music mogul David Geffen, was who convinced his good friend Calvin Klein to sign Wahlberg to appear in the designer's underwear ads. Wahlberg made his feature-film debut in 1994’s Renaissance Man followed by an appearance as Leonardo DiCaprio's thuggish best friend in The Basketball Diaries. Next he played a sociopath in Fear, forgettable thriller, then followed up with a career watershed, Boogie Nights, where he played the dick dujour who gets sucked into the 1970s porn scene. He followed with the forgettable black comedy The Big Hit, and next teamed with Chow Yun-Fat in New Line's The Corruptor. He returned to critical prominence in 1999 with Three Kings starring George Clooney and Ice Cube. This season he reteams with Clooney for the summer blockbuster The Perfect Storm. 

MyMovies: How did the fish smell?

Mark Wahlberg: The fish smelled a lot better than that hair. I just don’t like looking at fish anymore. After I had to chop a couple of their heads off, I don’t want to eat anymore. I took it upon myself to go out on a long-line fishing boat to get some first-hand experience. I’m a research freak, so I went out there for a couple days and nights, which was a stupid idea, I realized when I got out there. I was out there by myself and they made me do all the work. I got kicked off the boat after a couple of days. "Go back to Hollywood," I started to realize no one was doing anything. The captain and his mate were sitting around watching me and drinking beer. I gut some fish. We caught a lot of big fish and I wanted to learn something so that was part of the process. Afterwards, I was in no rush to eat swordfish or tuna again, even tuna in the can. It’s sort of hard to put those two together, see that big fish in that little can. But my stomach won’t allow it. 

MM: Did you get seasick?

MW: Very, George will tell you endless stories about me getting sick, throwing up over the side of the boat, in between lines, actually. But I ate bad sushi the night before the last day on the boat. I got on the boat already feeling sick. I had lost my breakfast, then I got on the boat and tried eat something else and it just came right back to me. Wolfgang stopped counting at fifty. It was bad. If I really wanted to complain, I probably could have gotten sent back to shore. 

Wolfgang said, "Mark, if you’re really sick, you can leave. I won’t tell anyone." It was tough, there were times when I just wanted to jump off the side of the boat just to get in the water. I didn’t care if they left me there.

MM: Is this the hardest film you’ve ever had? 

MW: Physically, yes, it was brutal. There were days where I was just trying to get through the day. I had to get my brain to convince my feet to move one in front of the other. 

MM: Three Kings was also hard. 

MW: Three Kings was a walk in the desert compared to this. Three Kings was tough, but we needed to go through this to make this movie work on screen. Wolfgang knew that and he did a good job creating all the elements. With him there all day every day, not complaining, giving you that boost of energy, you couldn’t cry. I just waited until I got to my trailer and then the tears would start flowing, you couldn’t help it.

MM: It looks physically dangerous. 

MW: It was, I prayed before I got on the boat and I kissed the ground when I got off. Everything happened to me from nearly drowning a couple of times… the water was so powerful, 2 or 3 thousand pounds of pressure, my earplugs were getting jammed underneath my eardrum and my head was swollen. I still don’t have my hearing back in one of my ears, it’s got a weird ring to it. They wanted to surgically remove this big piece of wax. They used wax to seal my ear and that got pushed in. 

I went to the doctor and he said, "We’ll set up surgery for a week from today, but you’re not going to be able to work." I said, "You go tell Wolfgang Petersen that we’re not going to shoot for two week. Just rip the thing out." And it was really dangerous, he said it could effect me for the rest of my life, damage my hearing. 

MM: Had you known then what you know now, would you have taken this job? 

MW: Yes. I told Wolfgang whatever you want, if you want it done again and again, because of the kind of filmmaker Wolfgang Petersen is. The kind of man he is, I know he’s going to make a movie that’s big and is going to kick my ass, but it will also have a lot of heart.

MM: How did the locals respond to you guys? 

MW: I came about a month before everybody else. I had gone fishing in Maryland and then I came back here to sneak around. I’m from this neck of the woods. People don’t expect me to pull the star shit, and if I do, they’re not going to give it to me anyway. I just tiptoed around, it’s obviously a sensitive subject, but I wanted to reach out to the family and reassure them that their loved ones were going to be shown in a light in which they should, which is a very heroic and courageous one. After spending a couple of days on a boat, I know what it’s like. It’s grueling work and in a town like this there’s very little opportunity. But they pride themselves on what they do. This town is an amazing place. I was fortunate enough that the family opened up to me. They really wanted me to know as much as I possibly could. It was great. Then the production came in and things got a bit busier. They wanted to know what this one’s like, what that one’s like, is he going to be Hollywood? What’s Georgie Clooney like?

MM: Being from this area, do you remember when this storm happened?

MW: Yes, definitely. New England weather is crazy, so it’s always something. I remember the storm because it was a lot bigger than most. That hurricane and the blizzard of ’78 were the ones I remember the most. It’s amazing they didn’t make a bigger deal about what happened. But that’s the fishing industry, it happens all the time.

MM: What did the family say to you? 

MW: I obviously had never met their son and he had brothers, but I didn’t want to imitate anybody. I just wanted to be a real guy from this town and a real guy on that boat. It’s all one big family in this town. Effie Shackford was a mother to everybody who walked through that door. They went there looking for her, to get that from her. With tough work comes tough love.

MM: Did George recommend you for this role? 

MW: Yes, he knew he couldn’t get through this on his own. Call in Wahlberg, the heavy hitter. I’m forever in debt to him. Wolfgang was into the idea, but he hadn’t seen Three Kings, didn’t know if we sucked together, didn’t know if the movie was going to do anything. It’s a big risk putting two people together in another movie, not knowing what it’s going to be like. But George produced my last movie and George got me Ocean’s Eleven. George is actually my boss, I have to answer to him. I’m on team Clooney.

MM: You guy’s are buddies? 

MW: Yeah, we’ve worked together so much, we’ve never hung out away from work. If we run into each other, we’ll spend the night shooting the shit. But no, we’ve never hung out away from work. We’ve worked so much together and it’s been so hard that by the time we’re done, we just want to go our separate ways. We have the same work ethic, it’s all business. 

George has an amazing way of keeping things loose. I sort of zone out and I can’t really focus on anything else, George keeps everything going. We have the same goals when we step on the set. It’s not to look for our own individual moments, but to service the story and the director’s vision. Anything else we can get out of it afterwards is nice.

MM: The fishing industry in Gloucester has taken quite a beating in the past ten years. 

MW: I don’t know how they expect people to make a living. You got to steam all the way to Portugal, then pay a tax when you fish, what do you do?

MM: Do you think the movie can help change things? 

MW: I hope so, it’s hard to tell. I think everybody will take something different away from the movie. But hopefully it will raise the level of awareness.

MM: Will there be a premiere here in Gloucester? 

MW: Yes, I’m excited and nervous. When the movie’s all said and done and it comes out and everybody goes back to California, I gotta come around this town. I live 30 minutes away from here. These guys will come and get me. So, I gotta make sure we do them some justice. But I’m excited for it, my entire family will be at the premiere, the Shaffords, the entire town of Glouchester. It’ll be great, it’s definitely a tribute to them.

MM: Were the insurance people nervous? 

MW:  I think they kept them at bay. I wish there was a SAG rep on set. There should have been. I promised Wolfgang when I read the script, you want me to do something, I’ll do it. I’m kicking myself in the ass afterward, shouldn’t have said it. I told him I am that guy. I did more stunts than I wanted to. I’m not the guy who goes on talk shows and says I did all my own stunts. I got my ass kicked and I was terrified for my life. It helped, it shows on screen. I complain about it at the end of the day, but of course I’d go back and do it all again in a second. I cracked my head a bunch of times, there was a lot of that going on. When the boat was tipped over, I got knocked out twice. You can’t see the water, it’s so murky and dark. All the instruments, the equipment and railing, everything was upside down. You have no idea of where you are. The current is so strong because of the wave machine. I was swimming into things, I got knocked out, blacked out a couple of times. Thank God the divers had masks. They’d seem me floating around, they go and grab me, I’m like, "Thank you!" Cause I had never scuba dived or anything. They take me to the bottom of the tank with a valve in my mouth and tell me how to breathe. Then we get to the bottom and they take it away from me. They swim away and they’ve got these weights on my ankles holding me down there. Of course you can’t panic down there, they came and got me after what seemed like an eternity. I was down there for a good minute and half, two minutes. And I was smoking cigarettes for the part, I was smoking a good two and half packs a day, so I wasn’t in very good shape. Wolfgang’s asking me to lose more weight, "You’re a fisherman, not a weightlifter. Save that for T-3." 

MM: You have a nice nicotine habit now? 

MW: I stopped the day I finished, haven’t smoked since. I vowed not to smoke again. Of course, if Wolfgang says, "Mark I want you to play a guy who smokes 50 packs of cigarettes a day." I’ll say, "Okay, so long as I can quit the day we wrap."

MM: Ocean’s Eleven is a pretty exciting project. 

MW: Yeah, I’m looking forward to it. I’m playing Peter Lawford’s part. They say Brad Pitt’s going to beat me up in the movie. Jennifer beat me up, so why not?

MM: So Mark Wahlberg as a long-hair rock star in your next film, Metal God? 

MW: That was almost as bad as being in that tank for 90 days. I wouldn’t mind if it was all my hair, that would be okay. But the hair was just all over the place. I didn’t know whose it was, it was in my mouth, my food. I know this sounds strange, but the character was a spitter. He was always spitting on stage. Rock and rollers spit on each other and they love it. If the audience spits on you it means they like you. I’m doing this thing where I’m supposed to spit and it’s always getting in my hair. The hair smelled like a dead cat and it would get wet… it was just horrible.

In spite of his hectic schedule promoting his new film, 'Planet Of The Apes', Mark Wahlberg popped in to the studio to play out some of his favourite tunes and answer your email questions...

Mark says hello

Nas – ‘Hate Me Now’ 

I'm going to tell you a little bit about my character and the journey he takes. I play Captain Leo Davidson, he's a private in the US airforce.

We're stationed up in space and I'm basically forced to train chimps to fly and to do the job that I'd like to do. But we're not that advanced and I send a chimp up running some basic tests and sequences and something goes wrong.

And instead of waiting to see what happens I decide to go out and save my little friend, and I get sucked through a time warp and end up on this planet that's controlled by very smart but very hostile gorillas and chimps.

It gets ugly from there so basically it's about my pursuit to get myself off the planet and a lot of interesting things happen while I'm there, like making out with a chimp!

Time for some of your email questions...

Tim from Muswell Hill asks: Did you tease any of your Ape co-stars because they had to be in makeup for hours and you didn't?

Mark: Of course I did, but it was a huge mistake because you've got guys like Tim Roth and Michael Court Duncan who can be very evil. And throughout the entire movie in just about every scene I'm in with them they're usually beating me up! So by the end of it I was serving them drinks and giving them anything they wanted and trying to be as nice as I possibly could.

Angie from Croyden asks: I heard you kiss a chimp played by Helena Bonham Carter, did it feel a bit odd?

Mark: It actually felt very good, believe it or not! If you ever get the chance to do so, you should!

Now it's time to play another favourite song of mine, this is Jay Z 'I Just Want To Love You'. Great song, good friend.

Jay Z - 'I Just Want To Love You' 

Jo from Beckingham asks: Did you manage to bag yourself a souvenir from the set, maybe an ape mask of two?

Mark: I did manage to take a loin cloth that was put in my trailer. On the last day they wanted me to come out and surprise Tim in the loin cloth, but I didn’t have the courage. They didn't put any beer in my trailer that day so it didn't happen, but I did take the loin cloth, so if people come to my house and they want to play 'Planet Of The Apes' they can!

Jane from Tower Hill asks: You're a good mate with George Clooney, did you ever go out and have beers together and did you turn the girls heads?

Mark: Yes, but they never noticed me because they were always paying attention to George. But we spent a lot of time while working, especially on 'The Perfect Storm', drinking beer and talking to lots of fishermen in preparation for the movie.

Now let's hear it for one of my favourite Brit bands, let's play some Oasis, 'Wonderwall'. I've been a fan for a long time and the cd still gets a lot of play in my car.

Oasis - 'Wonderwall' 

John from Hammersmith says: Being a star of a blockbuster like 'Planet Of The Apes' seems like the coolest job in the world. Is it as good as it sounds?

Mark: Yes and no. This wasn't a fun movie to make, because I got beaten up the entire time! But it has already been a success in America so that made it a little bit cooler. But it was a tough movie to make, I prefer to be in the smaller art films that I've done and been known for up until this point.

Angie from Lewisham asks: Would you ever make another record?

Mark: Not unless I have to! I still enjoy making music and I do it in my own time, and I've been able to do little stuff here and there for soundtracks for films that I've done.

Kerry from Grenwich asks: Would you ever make another 'Planet Of The Apes' movie?

Mark: If Tim Burton signs on I'm in, if he doesn't I have no interest whatsoever.

I'm going to end with another favourite song, Tupac 'Changes'.

Tupac - 'Changes' 

      Sept. 7—  Strange, isn’t it, the way Mark Wahlberg’s past fortifies his present? Somehow, starring in the underwear ads of Calvin Klein qualified him to play a porn star on the rise in “Boogie Nights.” And now his time in the hip-hop spotlight makes him an entirely credible “Rock Star” in the movie by that name reaching the nation’s screens Friday. 

         NOT THAT THE TWO worlds mesh in his mind. “You’re talking about rock ‘n’ roll,” he stresses, implying his training-wheel roots in rap. “My audience consisted of 13-year-old girls and their parents, and 40-year-old guys. It was a totally different ball game. Everyone I talked to about the script said, ‘It’s not gonna work. People know you as a rapper. You are not going to be believable as a rocker.’ That was a challenge to me. I felt I could pull it off. I’d hung out with a lot of those guys and knew, if I put the work in, I could do it.”

       From the get-go, he had no problem getting into character. “When I got my hair extensions, it was kind of like a license to go crazy. I couldn’t dress as Mark Wahlberg and have the hair extensions so I did the whole thing and, basically, lived the part for the whole six months. Which got a bit dangerous at times because you’re hanging out with the Real Guys. There’s no going halfway with Jason Bonham and those sort of guys.”

BLENDED VOCALS
       His rock sound came in post-production. “They blended my voice with another guy’s voice, but I don’t know his name — ‘Mike’? I think it ended up being like 30 percent me. I still studied with a vocal coach for six months because we were performing live and I wanted to go out there and do it. We opened for Whitesnake and Great White Wasp and Megadeath at a concert in the L.A. Sports Arena. It was either that or get 20,000 extras.” 

       Walhberg’s co-star in “Three Kings” and “The Perfect Storm,” George Clooney, was executive producer of “Rock Star,” but that history didn’t cut much ice. “George the actor counts on you to make him look good so George the actor is very nice, but George the producer was trying to get Brad Pitt to stay in the movie. 

       “He didn’t want me to play the part. Brad is a bigger star. I’d say, ‘George, I can play this part. I’m not scared. Let’s go,’ and he’d say, ‘No, Brad’s been attached for a while now. Can’t do that to him.’ So, no, George the producer is not a nice guy. We won’t work with him again as a producer.”

       Wahlberg agreed to do “Rock Star” without much of a pitch, he says. “That was similar in a number of ways to ‘Boogie Nights.’ If I had heard that pitch, I wouldn’t have been into the idea, and my manager knew that so he just kinda put the script in front of me. I liked it. It had a heart to it, and I thought that the relationship really worked on the page. I knew, if we were able to cast the right girl, you could have a really interesting movie.”

       And who did they get to be his vis-à-vis? Why, Jennifer Aniston — the bride of Brad Pitt! 

NEW YORK, Dec 13, 2001 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- "What is the most influential time in a child's life? It's between 3 and 8 -- every afternoon, after school." 

That message, delivered over the past year in a national ad campaign by Boys & Girls Club alumnus and spokesperson Denzel Washington, will be communicated farther and wider than ever in a new youth advocacy campaign to be launched on December 12 in New York. 

Washington will be joined by other prominent Club alumni and supporters, including Alex Rodriguez, Hank Aaron, Mark Wahlberg, and Ken Griffey, Jr. in launching the initiative, "CAMPAIGN 3 P.M." Others endorsing the effort include Club supporters Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Shaquille O'Neal and Tara Lipinski. 

"Our children face an often dangerous and unfriendly world after leaving the relative safety of their home and school. At 3 p.m., while parents are still working, millions of kids lack meaningful, positive things to do during the after-school hours," said Washington. "Research shows youth-related crime doubles between 3-8 p.m. every weekday. Given the increased anxiety and concerns brought on by the tragic events of this Fall, children need adult guidance, support and reassurance now more than ever." 

For more than a century, Boys & Girls Clubs have provided a safe haven with caring adults, character-building programs, hope and opportunity for millions of children. But the organization estimates as many as 15 million youth do not have a Club or other structured, supervised program or activity to keep them safe, give them an opportunity to do their homework, and engage in recreational and character-building activities every day after school. 

As part of CAMPAIGN 3 P.M., Boys & Girls Clubs of America will also announce and introduce the newest Boys & Girls Clubs spokesperson, baseball superstar Alex Rodriguez - "A-Rod" - of the Texas Rangers. Rodriguez, an alumnus of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami, will film an ad next month, in both English and Spanish, that will be released nationwide in early 2002. 

On Thursday, Boys & Girls Clubs of America will unveil the newest Club, the Boys & Girls Club of Camden, N.J. The city of Camden has experienced serious challenges, with significant declines in population, industry and jobs over the past two decades. One of the early signs of recovery for the South Jersey city of 88,000 is the opening of its first-ever Boys & Girls Club, which is expected to serve some 2,000 young people. 

Boys & Girls Clubs of America ( www.bgca.org) comprises a national network of more than 2,800 neighborhood-based facilities annually serving some 3.3 million young people, primarily from disadvantaged circumstances. Known as "The Positive Place for Kids," Clubs provide guidance-oriented programs on a daily basis for children 6 - 18 years old, conducted by a full-time professional staff. Key programs emphasize character and leadership development, educational enhancement, career preparation, health and life skills, the arts, and sports, fitness and recreation. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. 

SOURCE Boys & Girls Clubs of America

CONTACT:          Jan Still-Lindeman, +1-678-656-6252, or Amy Ruttkamp,
                  +1-404-493-3330, both of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America 

DULLES, Va. & NEW YORK, Dec 12, 2001 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- 

Charity Bidding Begins Today at AOL Keyword: Handmade in America 

Billy Crystal, Cindy Crawford, Alex Rodriguez, Vivica A. Fox, Martin Scorsese, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Jason Sehorn, Angie Harmon and LL Cool J are some of the celebrities who have joined the list of top stars who have contributed handmade, patriotic items and artwork to "Helping Hands II: Handmade in America," an online celebrity auction designed to benefit the September 11th relief efforts and to raise awareness of online giving opportunities during the holiday season. This initiative is kicking off with a special sneak peak at the artwork this evening at the Folk Art Museum in New York City. "Helping Hands II: Handmade in America" is sponsored by AOL Time Warner, the world's first Internet-powered media and communications company and its subsidiary, America Online, Inc. 

More than 40 celebrities have donated handmade crafts and objects reflecting their interpretation of the American spirit, which will be featured as of today, December 12th, in a special holiday catalog on Shop@AOL, the Company's popular online shopping destination, and offered for auction through eBay, the world's online marketplace. Throughout the holiday season, new works will debut in the catalog at AOL Keyword: Handmade in America or at http://www.aol.com/shopping, allowing fans to bid on and buy art work from their favorite celebrities. 

These new stars join the ranks of dozens of other celebrity participants -- such as Britney Spears, Michael Douglas, Dan Marino, Heidi Klum, Mark Wahlberg, James Gandolfini, Halle Berry, Marcia Gay Harden, Muhammad Ali, Courtney Cox Arquette and David Arquette - who have also contributed items to the auction. The latest celebrity handicrafts that will be offered for auction include: 

    --  A set of blue handprints with a message of "Peace" in
        multicolored beads by Cindy Crawford.
    --  A painting of Mike Wazowski from the movie Monsters, Inc. by
        Billy Crystal
    --  Martin Scorsese and his 2-year-old daughter, Francesca, send a
        message of peace with a picture of a dove.
    --  A signed bat used in a post-season game against the Yankees by
        heavy hitter Alex Rodriguez.
    --  Tod Williams and Billy Tsien, the Architects of the Museum of
        Folk Art, create a silver sculpture "spill" from the casting
        of the facade of their latest work.
The celebrities taking place in this year's auction have also included personal quotes detailing the inspiration behind their pieces as well as the meaning they hope their craft imparts. Some of these inspirational notes include: 

"Love, beauty and hope for America were our inspiration." -- David and Courtney Arquette, on their Candlelight Tribute painting. 

"After actually seeing the disaster area, I could truly appreciate the brave men and women who had to go through such an event - as well as the tireless volunteers! Their bravery and hard work inspired my piece." -- Jessica Biel, star of 7th Heaven, on her Collage of Ground Zero photographs. 

"The inspiration for my piece was remembering the important things - a night with friends, laughing, cutting up magazines to make something pretty together." 

--Sopranos star Edie Falco on her colorful collage bursting with bubbles and
light. 

"In the aftermath of the September 11th attack, the heroism, faith and goodness that defined New York City's people inspired me. Then, across the nation and around the world, as help poured in, my belief in the basic goodness and love inherent in humanity was confirmed. I wanted to acknowledge this human spirit." 

--Oscar-winner, Marcia Gay Harden on her sterling silver charm bracelet filled
with the people and landmarks of New York City. 

"Myinspiration came from my son Michael with the hope of a bright future in a great city." --James Gandolfini of The Sopranos on his Spirit of New York "Apple" painting. 

The "Helping Hands II" online catalog will also offer convenient links to NetworkforGood.org, a comprehensive new online ePhilanthropy portal created to make it easier for people to donate, volunteer and speak out on the issues they care about while helping charities strengthen their connections with a broader audience. This easy-to-use, one-stop online resource offers visitors the opportunity to make donations to over 850,000 nonprofits across the U.S., including the September 11th charities, to learn about volunteer opportunities in their own communities or to find a way to speak out on the issues that they care about the most. 

    About AOL Time Warner
AOL Time Warner (NYSE:AOL) is the world's first Internet-powered media and communications company, whose industry-leading businesses include interactive services, cable systems, publishing, music, TV networks and film and entertainment. 

    About America Online, Inc.
America Online, Inc., is a wholly owned subsidiary of AOL Time Warner Inc. Based in Dulles, Virginia, America Online is the world's leader in interactive services, Web brands, Internet technologies and e-commerce services. 

Editor's Note: JPEGs of artwork and a complete list of participating celebrities are available upon request. 

CONTACT:          America Online    Suzy Berkowitz, 212/484-7228

Mark Wahlberg, who starred as stranded astronaut Leo Davidson in the Tim Burton-directed "Planet of the Apes" and co-starred with Jennifer Aniston in the movie "Rock Star," has purchased a Beverly Hills-area home for about $5 million.

The Mediterranean-style house, behind gates, has five bedrooms in slightly more than 9,000 square feet.

Built in the '80s, the home, on 1.4 acres, also has a theater with a projection room; an office, gym, pool, spa, pool house and tennis court. Before he became an actor, Wahlberg, 30, performed for a short time with New Kids on the Block. He recorded albums as Marky Mark, and he toured with Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.

Wahlberg was also a model for Calvin Klein underwear starting in 1992. In 1993, he got his first major acting job in a USA Network movie, "The Substitute."

Since then, he has won critical praise for acting in such movies as "Boogie Nights" (1997), "Three Kings" (1999) and "The Perfect Storm" (2000).

He stars in the upcoming movie "The Truth About Charlie," Jonathan Demme's remake of "Charade" (1963), starring Cary Grant.

DULLES, Va. & NEW YORK, Dec 6, 2001 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- 

AOL Time Warner and In Style Magazine to Co-Host NYC Launch Event Featuring Live Performance by Jewel

Creating everything from hand-painted New York vistas to red-white-and-blue knit babywear, more than a dozen stars have literally lent their hands by contributing patriotic items and artwork to "Helping Hands II: Handmade in America." Sponsored by AOL Time Warner, the world's first Internet-powered media and communications company, and its subsidiary, America Online, Inc., "Helping Hands II: Handmade in America" is an online celebrity auction of patriotic handiworks, designed to benefit victims of the September 11th tragedies and bring a focus to online giving opportunities during the holidays. 

Britney Spears, Kristin Davis, Michael Douglas, Dan Marino, Heidi Klum, Mark Wahlberg, Lennox Lewis, James Gandolfini, Halle Berry, Edie Falco, Marcia Gay Harden, David Boreanaz, Evan and Jaron are among the stars who have created and donated handmade crafts and objects reflecting their interpretation of the American spirit. These include: 

    --  An original painted photo from acclaimed artist Peter Beard
    --  A pair of hand-painted glass holiday ornaments from daytime
        TV's lovable host, Rosie O'Donnell
    --  A "great play" by legendary quarterback Dan Marino
    --  A hand-knit red, white and blue baby cap from talk show host
        Ricki Lake
    --  A hand painted look at the big apple from The Sopranos' James
        Gandolfini
    --  A signed patriotic BCBG T-shirt from pop diva Britney Spears
    --  A message of peace and love from Halle Berry
    --  A sterling silver bracelet with New York charm by Oscar-winner
        Marcia Gay Harden
    --  A hand-painted face of a woman from celebrity couple Courteney
        Cox Arquette and David Arquette

These one-of-a-kind pieces will be featured in a special holiday catalog on Shop@AOL, the Company's popular online shopping destination and offered through eBay, the world's online marketplace. Throughout the holiday season, new works will debut in the catalog (found at AOL Keyword: Handmade in America or www.aol.com/shopping), allowing fans to bid on and buy artwork from their favorite celebrities. 

AOL Time Warner and In Style Magazine will host a star-studded event in New York at the American Folk Art Museum's stunning new building on Wednesday, December 12 to celebrate the launch of the "Handmade in America" catalog and to unveil the patriotic celebrity creations. Atlantic recording artist Jewel will lend her soulful voice and humanitarian hand to the evening with a special live performance. 

Dick Parsons, CO-Chief Operating Officer of AOL Time Warner, said, "At a time of unprecedented testing for America, the creative arts are more important than ever. By joining in this endeavor, some of our nation's biggest stars are giving of themselves and of their talent, to help the American spirit of innovation and unity shine through. We're very grateful for the opportunity to showcase these contributions alongside the timeless expressions of American creativity at the new Museum of American Folk Art and to help support a worthy cause." 

Proceeds from this year's auction will be distributed among nine organizations on the front lines of relief efforts: the American Red Cross, the WTC School Relief Fund, the New York Firefighters 9-11 Disaster Relief Fund, the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund, the New York State World Trade Center Relief Fund, the September 11th Fund, the Survivors' Fund of the National Capital Region, the Twin Towers Fund and the WTC Police Disaster Relief Fund. Each participating celebrity will select the funds to benefit from the sale of their contribution. 

Additionally, the "Helping Hands II" online catalog will offer convenient links to NetworkforGood.org, a comprehensive online ePhilanthropy portal created to make it easier for people to donate, volunteer and speak out on the issues they care about while helping charities strengthen their connections with a broader audience. This easy-to-use, one-stop online resource will offer visitors the opportunity to make donations to September 11th charities, learn about volunteer opportunities and/or find other ways to support recovery efforts. 

"In this year especially, it is wonderful to help find a way to make a meaningful contribution, " said Martha Nelson, Managing Editor, In Style magazine. 

"Helping Hands II: Handmade in America" builds on the success of last year's AOL Helping Hands initiative that included handiworks from legendary artists, athletes, musicians and actors and raised tens of thousands of dollars online for several charities. In addition, proceeds from "Because We Are Americans: What We Discovered on September 11, 2001," published by Warner Books and America Online, will be distributed equally to The American Red Cross and The New York State World Trade Center Relief Fund. 

About America Online, Inc.
America Online, Inc., is a wholly owned subsidiary of AOL Time Warner Inc. Based in Dulles, Virginia, America Online is the world's leader in interactive services, Web brands, Internet technologies and e-commerce services. 

About AOL Time Warner
AOL Time Warner (NYSE:AOL) is the world's first Internet-powered media and communications company, whose industry-leading businesses include interactive services, cable systems, publishing, music, TV networks and filmed entertainment. 

About In Style
IN STYLE, a celebrity lifestyle magazine, was launched in June 1994 by Time Inc. and within seven years has emerged as one of the most successful magazines on newsstands today. An insider's guide to the lives and lifestyles of the world's most fascinating people, IN STYLE offers a wealth of inspiration and ideas about beauty, fashion, decor, entertaining and charities. Highly recognized by industry insiders, IN STYLE has received a special award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (1999), "for putting the spotlight on fashion and Hollywood," the Acres of Diamonds award for "Best Fashion Magazine," the Accessories Council Award for "best coverage of accessories by a consumer fashion magazine" and the Fashion Group International Star Gazer Corporate Award. In addition, IN STYLE has been No. 1 for the last 3 consecutive years on Capell's Circulation Report and for the last six years, has finished within the top 10 on Adweek Magazine's prestigious "Hot List." 

InStyle.com, the most recent extension of the IN STYLE brand, was launched in November 2000. Within the last year, the site has emerged as one of the most successful resources on the internet for celebrity style, fashion and beauty advice, serving more than one million visitors a month. 

Editor's Note: 100% of the funds that are raised will go directly to the designated organizations. JPEGs of artwork and a complete list of participating celebrities are available upon request.