MARK WAHLBERG - WAHLBERG: I WAS A BAD CRIMINAL

Screen hunk MARK WAHLBERG finds his thieving role in his new heist flick THE ITALIAN JOB ironic - because he was such a useless criminal when he was younger.

The former rapper admits he led a hellraising existence as a youngster, but his moves were nothing near as slick as his character CHARLIE CROKER in the remake of the MICHAEL CAINE classic.

He says, "When I was a kid I was a terror. I mean we used to steal cars all the time and do everything imaginable. There was plenty to draw on for the role, but unfortunately I wasn't as successful as these guys because I ended up going to jail - a couple of times."

He recalls of one of his failed crime sprees, "We hid in a department store until it closed and then we were gonna steal as much as we could and break out. But it was very difficult to get out. Of course, four or five of us got busted."

But Wahlberg's current success as a Hollywood actor does have bittersweet undertones - his former partners in crime won't be able to see his new movie for quite some time.

He explains, "They're not gonna see the movie until it comes out on television because most of them are in jail."