Reports From Chris Esslinger and GPLB.com

Mark Wahlberg, Oscar nominated actor (“The Departed”) and Emmy award-nominated producer (“Entourage”) who has starred in and produced a wide variety of films and TV shows, is adding the role of Grand Marshal of the 36th Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach to his resumé.  

The Boston native will give the famed command, “Drivers, start your engines” at approximately 1:15 p.m. on Sunday, April 18 for the start of the IZOD IndyCar Series race, headlining the six-race Grand Prix weekend schedule April 16-18.

Wahlberg got his first big screen role in Penny Marshall’s 1994 “Renaissance Man,” and he followed that with audience- and critic-pleasing roles in films such as “Boogie Nights,”  “The Perfect Storm” and “The Departed.”

Wahlberg’s upcoming projects include “The Fighter” and “The Other Guys,” both 2010 releases.