It seems the established young star wasn't keen on the former boybander taking a role in the drama about a teen basketball star's descent into drug addiction, the Daily Mail reports.
"He didn't want me for the part, and I didn't think he was right for the part," Wahlberg said, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
"We both had to really learn how to respect each other, and we earned it."
Once production started, however, Wahlberg said he and DiCaprio worked through their issues and formed a bond during the shoot.
The Boston native went on to earn critical praise for his role in The Basketball Dairies and his next film, 1996's thriller Fear.
In 1997, he was cast as a troubled porn star in Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights and his star was set.
He is now one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood with numerous producing credits to his name.
His movies include Daddy's Home, Ted, Lone Survivor, Shooter and The Departed, where he teamed up once again with DiCaprio.
The Departed, released in 2006, brought him his first Academy Award nomination in the best supporting actor category.
In 2011, he was nominated as a producer when The Fighter, in which he also starred with Christian Bale, received a Best Picture Oscar nod.
