Graham Norton Shares Behind-the-Scenes Details of Mark Wahlberg’s Appearance

During the 2025 Henley Literary Festival, Graham Norton recounted an episode involving Mark Wahlberg that was notably chaotic due to Wahlberg’s intoxication. Norton emphasized that guests arriving drunk are not a production decision but simply a reality, stating, “If you ever see a drunk person on the show, it’s because they’ve arrived drunk.”

Interestingly, Norton observed that Wahlberg seemed sober upon arrival. However, things took a turn about 15 minutes into the interview. The actor, who was promoting “Broken City” at the time, started to behave unpredictably, talking over other guests like Sarah Silverman and Michael Fassbender, and even sitting on Norton’s lap and playing with his nipples. Wahlberg eventually fell asleep during the episode, which became infamous among viewers.

Norton recalled that Wahlberg initially shared details about his film and some stunt stories, but once the substances he had ingested took effect, his behavior became uncontrollable. He mentioned a particular episode from February 2013, where Wahlberg repeatedly interrupted others and even fell asleep while Michael Fassbender was sharing an anecdote.

Wahlberg later addressed this incident in an interview, clarifying that his attempt at humor was misunderstood. Norton also pointed out that there is a common misconception that producers encourage guests to drink heavily, which he denied, saying, “We really don’t.” Guests are only offered a limited amount of alcohol, and any excessive drinking is unintentional.

Reflecting on the incident, Norton considers Wahlberg a genuinely nice person, noting that everyone can have moments where they unexpectedly overindulge. “It was just a thing,” he commented, understanding that sometimes these situations happen without malice.