Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg said starring as the title character in the action film "Max Payne" was a welcomed change of pace.

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Wahlberg, known for films like "The Departed" and "The Happening," said playing a police officer in the film adaptation of a popular video game was part of his ongoing Hollywood career plan, the New York Post reported Sunday.

"We're always trying to do the complete opposite of what we did last time. After playing a science teacher or playing an accountant, it was good to get out there and go off a little again," Wahlberg said. "I want to make movies that I want to see and I think people want to see me in."

The father-of-three admitted not knowing initially that "Payne" was based on a video game and also confessed the film wouldn't be in Oscar contention anytime soon.

"It's crazy. Wild," he told the Post of "Max Payne," which hits U.S. theaters this week. "It's everything we hoped it would be. We're not trying to win the Academy Award, we're trying to thoroughly entertain people."