Mark Wahlberg has been talking about the experience of making his thriller Lone Survivor, which currently sits atop the box office in America and opens in Britain this weekend. 

Lone SurvivorMark Wahlberg [center, left] in Peter Berg's 'Lone Survivor'

It's the first time Wahlberg has played a real-life person, and he has said that he was moved because, "it's the first time that it wasn't about me. It wasn't about my experience or my growth as an actor. I just think about what Marcus and those guys went through." Read our review of Lone Survivor now.

In the film, Wahlberg plays Marcus Luttrell, who wrote the book the movie is based on. And the two have become friends over the course of the film's production and marketing. Luttrell was the leader of four Navy Seals who went into the mountains of Afghanistan on a mission to track down a notorious Taliban leader, only to have events turn against them. The film strives for edgy authenticity, and is packed with surprising plot turns that reveal the complexities of the conflict.

Watch the 'Lone Survivor' trailer:

Playing Luttrell clearly had a massive impact on Wahlberg, who says he was inspired by him to be a better man. "I don't like war," he said, "but I love soldiers and I love what Marcus did."