In the recent action-comedy film Play Dirty, Mark Wahlberg‘s titular character delivers a stunning on-screen moment by killing off billionaire Mark Cuban in a crowded restaurant. This unexpected scene, which takes place midway through the movie, immediately caught viewers off guard. Play Dirty, directed by Shane Black and adapted from Donald E. Westlake’s Parker novels, made waves with this bold and darkly humorous cameo featuring the Shark Tank star, highlighting the film’s edgy tone and irreverent humor.
Behind the Scenes of Mark Cuban’s Brief Role
Despite the film’s unforgiving fate for Cuban’s character, the director and lead actor extended gratitude to the real-life billionaire for agreeing to participate. Shane Black admitted to Entertainment Weekly that securing Cuban was surprisingly smooth.
“You wouldn’t expect someone like that to go, ‘Oh yeah, sure,’”
Black shared.
“But he was like, ‘I’m in.’”
Although Black did not personally have a prior connection with Cuban, a producer with ties to the billionaire facilitated the cameo. This allowed Cuban to easily agree to play himself, even if his character was destined to die on screen.
“Somehow he could at least get through to Mark Cuban, and so he put us in touch and arranged for that to happen,”
Black explained.
“It just seemed like a really, really good, fun choice, because everyone knows who Mark Cuban is. There was even a scene we cut from the movie for time where there’s a guy talking about, ‘It’s a shame about Mark. I loved his show.’ And people are talking about the fact he’s just dead and gone. So I thought that was fun.”
Technical Challenges in Filming the Iconic Scene
Mark Wahlberg revealed that the filming process for the cameo was more complicated than it appeared, as he never actually worked alongside Cuban during production. The shots involving Cuban were filmed separately and integrated later through visual effects.
“Mark Cuban wasn’t there on the day,”
Wahlberg told Entertainment Weekly.
“We basically shot everything and then they shot his coverage later on down the road.”
Wahlberg admitted initial skepticism about whether Cuban would agree to the role at all, given the unusual request for a billionaire to play a character who would be killed so swiftly.
“I really was like, ‘Is Mark really going to be willing to do this?’”
Wahlberg said.
“And then when I saw the movie, I was like, ‘Holy s—, they actually got him to do it.’ I thought we’d be doing ADR and putting somebody else’s name in there.”
Shane Black confirmed that Cuban’s involvement was non-negotiable despite the hurdles presented by geography and scheduling.
“It was always going to be Mark Cuban”
Black emphasized.
“We were in Australia and Mark Cuban was in the U.S. so we shot half of the scene against a green screen with an empty chair and then a [body] double,”
he explained.
“And then when we came back here, here comes the chair and the table and the green screen, and here comes Mark Cuban. So it’s just a composite, but it works flawlessly.”
Looking Ahead: Mark Cuban’s Return and Wahlberg’s Gratitude
Mark Wahlberg expressed enthusiasm about meeting Cuban in person to personally thank him for his willingness to participate in such an unusual cameo. Additionally, Wahlberg revealed that Cuban is slated to appear again in the next installment related to Play Dirty, though with a notably different fate.
“He’s such a great sport for doing that,”
Wahlberg said.
“And he’s also, oddly enough, written in the next movie that I’m about to start shooting now.”
He added,
“Not the same outcome for him, but yes, him playing himself again. So I’m optimistic this time that he’ll actually be there when we do it together.”
Play Dirty is currently available for viewing on Prime Video, offering audiences a blend of sharp humor, intense action, and unexpected celebrity appearances that elevate its storytelling. The film’s daring approach to casting and character fate underscores the risks Shane Black and Mark Wahlberg are willing to take to keep audiences engaged and surprised.
