NEED TO KNOW
Mark Wahlberg’s head is in the game.
The Oscar-nominated actor, 54, expressed his interest in playing Bill Belichick in a movie when stopped on the street by TMZ for an interview on Thursday, Sept. 25.
Wahlberg — who is a Boston native and longtime fan of the New England Patriots, where the legendary NFL coach was head for 24 seasons — said he would also be up for a double date with Belichick, 73, and his 24-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson.
“If Bill wants to go to dinner with his girlfriend and my wife, that’s no problem,” he told the outlet, who had asked if he’d be open to the idea. “But I want to play Bill in a movie,” he countered.
Kayla Oaddams/WireImage
Wahlberg is married to Rhea Durham. They tied the knot in 2009 and together share 4 kids: Ella, 22, Michael, 19, Brendan, 17 and Grace, 15.
The Ted actor was then asked about Belichick’s legacy and what about it he’d like to convey on the big screen.
“The greatest coach of all time, come on! The greatest coach of all time,” he replied of Belichick, who’s now in his first season as head football coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Belichick and Hudson, who is 49 years his junior, have been dating for over two years. Their relationship began in early 2023 after his split from Linda Holliday, his girlfriend of 16 years.
Lance King/Getty
The former Bridgewater State University cheerleader and the longtime NFL coach reportedly first met in February 2021 while she was still in college.
The topic of how they met, though, topped headlines after Hudson infamously shut down the question when asked in April 2025.
“We’re not talking about this,” she said sternly to to CBS Sunday Morning’s Tony Dokoupil, who was interviewing Belichick, after he asked the eight-time Super Bowl champion coach how he and Hudson first crossed paths.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Since their romance was made public in June 2024, Hudson has been increasingly protective of keeping their relationship private.
However, the couple hasn’t shied away from showcasing PDA online or on the sidelines at games.
Steve Granitz/FilmMagic
On Sept. 1, Hudson supported Belichick for his first game as college head coach when the Tar Heels were defeated 48-14 by Texas Christian University.
She was also by his side when his team were victorious, 20-3 over the University of North Carolina at Charlotte the following week.
Hudson continued to make a statement at games in the weeks that followed.
On Sept. 20, she turned heads again for appearing to give Belichick a pre-game pep talk on the field before the game in a video shared online.
Two days later, a former UNC administrator filed a lawsuit claiming that Belichick was illegally hired by the University of North Carolina for their head coaching position.
