The post Exclusive: How Mark Wahlberg, Keegan-Michael Key \u2018quarterbacked\u2019 Play Dirty<\/a> appeared first on ClutchPoints<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sometimes, a movie set needs a quarterback, just as Prime Video\u2019s Play Dirty<\/a> did. Luckily, the new movie featured A-list and experienced actors like Mark Wahlberg<\/a> and Keegan-Michael Key.<\/p>\n Speaking to ClutchPoints about Play Dirty, which was written and directed by Shane Black, Wahlberg and Key had high praise for each other. Wahlberg credited Key\u2019s most quarterback-like trait being his ability to \u201cenhance scenes\u201d without overstepping boundaries.<\/p>\n \u201cKeegan has a very innate ability to, if there is a dead or dull moment, to not only fill those gaps, but enhance<\/i> the scenes,\u201d Wahlberg praised. \u201cIt\u2019s always within the context of the scene, you know what I mean?\u201d<\/p>\n A still from Play Dirty courtesy of Prime Video.<\/p>\n There are times when some actors go overboard when improvising, but not Key. He finds the right notes to hit, \u201coutworks\u201d everyone else, and, like a great quarterback, elevates everything around him.<\/p>\n \u201c[Some] people start improvising about some random s**t that has nothing to do with what the movie is,\u201d Wahlberg explained. \u201cBut he is there, and he is very gracious, because he could go in and just outwork everybody and kind of steal every scene in every moment.\u201d<\/p>\n Not overstepping is key in a movie like Play Dirty, which is an ensemble piece featuring other A-listers like LaKeith Stanfield, Rosa Salazar, Nat Wolff, Tony Shalhoub, and Chukwudi Iwuji.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is an ensemble [piece], and you want everybody to shine, and you want the guy next to you to be just as good as you,\u201d Wahlberg explained. \u201cIf not, it\u2019s not gonna work.\u201d<\/p>\n Another part of quarterbacking is the skill of improvising. Not necessarily in being able to ad-lib funny lines so much as the ability to fix problems amidst the craziness of a fast-paced movie set. This is a skill Wahlberg has \u201cin spades,\u201d according to Key.<\/p>\n \u201cMark has the ability to problem-solve fluidly on the fly,\u201d Key said, praising his co-star. \u201cHe does the same thing that he just said, [which] is crucial \u2014 when you\u2019re making a decision or having a conversation with a director or a person who has a vision for the film, [it\u2019s important] you are staying within the guardrails.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s very good at being creative within the guardrails, which is to say, How does this enhance the story? Am I making a decision that\u2019s moving the story forward? Am I making a decision that\u2019s collectively good for the entire process?<\/i>\u201d Key continued.<\/p>\n A still from Play Dirty courtesy of Prime Video.<\/p>\n Wahlberg is able to do this, pushing the projects further. He, as a visionary, adds flavor to otherwise mundane projects without overstepping the boundaries as an actor.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is what the greats do,\u201d Key gushed. \u201cIt\u2019s keeping in mind what\u2019s happening inside the story, the integrity of the story, but also thinking about what might be fun, interesting, or captivating for the viewer so that it\u2019s not just all-encompassing, it\u2019s not just all us and what our work is, it\u2019s also about, Oh, this might be a moment the viewers will really enjoy<\/i>, or, This might be something the moviegoer might resonate with<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n Wahlberg\u2019s character is like the quarterback of the ragtag group in Play Dirty. Clearly, he and Key brought a lot of valuable experience to the set, and it shows in the finished product.<\/p>\n Play Dirty is streaming on Prime Video.<\/p>\n<\/span><\/div>\n
Keegan-Michael Key on how Mark Wahlberg \u201cproblem-solved\u201d his way through the Play Dirty set<\/b><\/h2>\n
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