Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg has said he's asked God to forgive him for some of the inappropriate movies he's appeared in over the years - particularly Boogie Nights, in which he played a porn star.

Wahlberg recently appeared at an event with Cardinal Blase Cupich in Chicago, where he addressed his past career choices, the Chicago Tribune reports.

"I just always hope that God is a movie fan and also forgiving," Wahlberg told Chicago, Inc. "Because I've made some poor choices in my past."

When asked if there were any movies he particularly regrets, Wahlberg said, "Boogie Nights is up there at the top of the list."

Boogie Nights follows the career of Wahlberg's character Dirk Diggler through the porn industry in the 1970s and 1980s.

Wahlberg also opened up about attacking two Vietnamese men (on separate occasions) in 1988, leading to his imprisonment at the age of 16. The victim later forgave the actor for his crimes.

"I've never been shy about sharing my past and the bad decisions I've made and being affiliated with gangs, being incarcerated, so absolutely I think they can identify with me on a personal level, and that's why I've continued to try to do as much as I can to help young people," he said.

"It's one thing to give money, or to start programs, but to be there and be able to talk to them, and tell them there is someone who has been through the same things they are going through and was able to turn their life around, and turn it into a big positive. That's always important," he added.

Being jailed as a teen, Wahlberg said, was a "big wake-up call for me. A lot of people go to God when they get into trouble. When I heard the jail doors close behind me ... I knew that was just the beginning for me.

"I feel remorse when I've made mistakes. If I could go back and change a lot of things that I did, I would. I look for ways to give back."

Wahlberg's appearance opposite the Cardinal on Friday was part of an effort to "to draw young people into the church," according to the Tribune.

Last year, the actor appeared in an online video in which he identified his Catholic faith as the "anchor that supports everything I do in life" and said he regularly prays for "guidance and strength in my vocation as a husband and as a father."

During a 2015 interview with Square Mile Magazine, Wahlberg said his faith makes him a "better man".

"It's the most important part of my life," he said. "I pray that I will live up to my intention to be the best husband and father than I can be."

Wahlberg also credits his faith for his massively successful career, which includes Golden Globe and Oscar nominations: "I never would have been able to change my life and have the success and love that I have in my world today without my faith," he said.