Mark Wahlberg wants to get a pardon for the 1988 conviction that found him guilty of assault, because he believed he has already worked so hard to clean and improve himself better. He wants to clean his name so that he could have a positive influence to children, E! News reports.

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"I'm not trying to gain a pardon because I feel like, well, now I'm rich and successful. I didn't ask for it five years, 10 years, 20 years, 25 years after the fact," the Oscar-nominated actor told E! News.

"I feel like I have now gotten to a place where not only did I have a huge amount of remorse but I have done tons of work to better myself as a person, not as a celebrity," he continued.

Actor Mark Wahlberg has filed for petition in the state of Massachusetts, claiming that he has since "dedicated himself to becoming a better person," worthy enough for teens and adults to look up to as a model, USA Today reports.

The Gambler star was involved in an incident in 1988 after he hit a man in the head using a wooden stick while trying to steal alcohol from a convenience in Dorchester, Mass. He hit another man in the face as he was running away from the police.

In the application for petition, Wahlberg claimed that he had been under the influence of marijuana and narcotics when he committed the assault.

The 43-year-old actor claimed that he already turned his life around, noting the many successes he's had since then, as a music artist, actor and film and television producer.

He also noted he has helped charities and philanthropic causes by raising millions of dollars for their causes.

"I want people to remember my past so that I can serve as an example of how lives can be turned around and how people can be redeemed," he said.

He wants to use his "troubled past" in the "public spotlight to speak openly about the mistakes I made as a teenager so that others do not make those same mistakes," he continued.

The Massachusetts Parole Board will review Wahlberg's case before recommending the pardon to the governor, although rarely is a pardon granted. Neither Gov. Deval Patrick, who will be stepping down from office after eight years as governor, nor his predecessor, Mitt Romney has granted any parole. It is hoped that Patrick's successor, Governor-Elect Charlier Baker will grant him the parole.

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