Donnie Wahlberg Brings Boston Roots to New Spinoff ‘Boston Blue’
For 14 years, Donnie Wahlberg starred as Detective Danny Reagan on CBS’ hit procedural Blue Bloods, captivating audiences with the story of the Reagans, New York’s fictional first family of law enforcement. “I was stopped on airplanes, on trains, on the street… wherever I went, somebody would tell me they love Blue Bloods,” Wahlberg recalled.
Now 56, Wahlberg steps into a new chapter with Boston Blue, a Blue Bloods spinoff set in his real-life hometown.
Growing Up in Boston
Wahlberg grew up as the eighth of nine kids in the working-class Dorchester neighborhood. “We were poor… nine kids, a dog, a cat, a grandma in the basement, and my mom and dad for a while,” he said. Life was chaotic, with siblings coming and going, run-ins with the law, and household arguments. Wahlberg quickly assumed the role of family peacemaker: “One of the adults. My role was to get everyone together and be happy by any means necessary.”
Boston in the 1970s was also a city marked by racial tension. As a first grader, Wahlberg was sent via court-ordered desegregation to predominantly Black Roxbury schools — an experience he calls “probably the most important thing that ever happened in my life.” Exposure to a different community shaped his worldview and ambitions, including his eventual path into performance.
The Musical Beginnings
Wahlberg discovered his love for performing in fourth grade after hearing hip-hop: “I would listen to Rapper’s Delight, start writing my own raps, making up my own songs.” By age 14, he auditioned for Maurice Starr, the producer behind New Edition, and became one of the first members of New Kids on the Block, alongside his younger brother Mark.
Despite early criticism of the band’s musical abilities, Wahlberg honed his skills as a writer and producer, helping the group land hits like “Good Vibrations.” He credits his musical career with helping him prove himself and support his younger brother.
Transition to Acting
After the New Kids disbanded in 1994, Wahlberg turned to acting, breaking through with The Sixth Sense. He later appeared in Band of Brothers, Boomtown, and continues to reunite with New Kids on the Block for tours.
Today, Wahlberg lives outside Chicago with his second wife, TV personality Jenny McCarthy. Both share similar upbringings, and she praises their shared dedication to family: “We’re caretakers of our family, which I think is something to be proud of.”
Bringing Danny Reagan to Boston
Although Wahlberg wasn’t initially sure about reprising Danny Reagan after Blue Bloods’ cancellation, he embraced the chance to bring the character to a new city. “I love Blue Bloods. I fought tooth-and-nail to keep it on the air… suddenly, when I started to look at it through that lens, it was like, how do I not do this?”
Balancing TV work, concerts, and personal life is demanding, but Wahlberg doesn’t complain: “Everything I ever wanted, I’m doing it. I want to be worthy of the gift that so many people give me of their time. How can I not work my ass off to repay that?”
In the end, Wahlberg says he’s simply continuing what he’s always done: bringing joy, love, and connection to others, just as he did growing up amid chaos in Boston.
WEB EXTRA: Extended interview – Donnie Wahlberg (Video)
