Mark Wahlberg was in Boston Saturday night to honor the men and women of the city's police department at their annual gala.
The actor said wants to show respect to the Boston Police Department for their hard work and dedication, and that is something he plans to highlight in his new movie, "Patriots' Day," about the Boston Marathon bombings.
Wahlberg and the film's director, Peter Berg, presented this year's Hero's Award to officer John Moynian, who was shot in the line of duty last year and survived.
"It's a small small city and everybody knows somebody who is affected by that, as well as what happened in the marathon, and we are just happy to be hear and to honor him, and thankful that he's OK," Wahlberg said.
"We're just really excited to be here and to honor these great men and women of the Boston Police Department," said Berg.
Recently, Watertown and UMass Dartmouth have said they won't allow the movie to film in their communities, but the actor and director showed optimism anyway.
"The movie is going great," Berg said. "We're really excited.
Massachusetts
The latest news from around the state
"This is my home, this is where I was born and raised," he said. "We have a huge responsibility."
"They've talked to a lot of the families, they're talking to a lot of people involved, and if they're going to do it, they're going to do it right, and they're being very sensitive about it," said Boston Police Commissioner William Evans. "I know it's a sore spot. But I think they're very committed to making sure they can do it so the city doesn't have to relive that day."
The gala is hoping to raise about a half a million dollars, which goes to provide equipment and services that can keep Boston officers safe.
