Mark Wahlberg defends Oscars' new popular film category

Los Angeles: Actor Mark Wahlberg says that with the new category introduced by the Academy Awards, he might win a couple of awards now.

"Maybe if they'd had the category before, we'd have won a couple of them," Mark Wahlberg told Variety on Thursday night at the premiere of "Mile 22." 

"We've had some really commercially successful films that we think certainly warranted that kind of notoriety. We make films that we want people to enjoy and if we get those kinds of accolades, fantastic. If not, we make the movies for audiences to enjoy," he added.

Wahlberg was nominated for a supporting actor Oscar for his role in 2006's "The Departed" and again in 2010 as a producer for "The Fighter." STX's action-thriller "Mile 22" is the 45th film on his acting resume.

"There are a lot of great films out there that happen to be very popular and haven't been recognized that probably deserve the recognition," Wahlberg said.

Ronda Rousey, who plays a cold-eyed CIA agent in "Mile 22," admitted that the popular category appealed to her.

"Mile 22" opens on August 17.