Donnie Wahlberg Defends Blue Bloods Legacy, Faith in Boston Blue (Excl)
From defending the Blue Bloods legacy to conserving religion on the heart of the CBS spinoff Boston Blue, Donnie Wahlberg it is all about loyalty.
When Blue Bloods premiered In 2010, the actor was dedicated to the lengthy haul, and he was rewarded with an equally devoted fan base. The CBS present concerning the Reagans, a close-knit Irish-Catholic household in NYC regulation enforcement, was constantly among the many community’s highest-rated.
Then, in 2024 after 14 seasons, it was abruptly canceled.
“I can assure every viewer out there that nobody was more disappointed than me. Nobody cried more than me. Nobody’s heart was broken more than mine,” Wahlberg, 56, solely tells Us Weekly. “I fought tooth and nail to save Blue Bloods. I did everything I could.”
He dreamed of a by-product for his cop character, Danny Reagan, however never expected it to happen:
“I used to throw the idea around of Danny going somewhere totally different, far away,” he says.
Enter Boston Blue, which premiered in October 2025 and follows Danny to Wahlberg’s real-life hometownthe place he relocates to take care of son Sean (Mika Amonsen). The present is again submit–winter break on Friday, February 27, and has already been renewed for season 2.
Wahlberg talks to Us about preserving the Blue Bloods legacy, what the collection has in retailer and why skeptical longtime followers ought to get on board with Danny’s new life up north.
Was becoming a member of Boston Blue a straightforward sure?
I needed to undergo the method of claiming goodbye to our crew and the solid and reconciling the truth that [Blue Bloods] may now be in my rearview mirror. I needed to let go of Danny Reagan and Blue Bloods. So when this got here alongside, I needed to reevaluate. It wasn’t only a snap determination.
It turned a neater determination as I got to work on the pilot script with the Brandons [creators Brandon Margolis and Brandon Sonnier]. I discovered methods to make it genuine to Danny, make it believable that he would go to Boston, and discover methods to essentially make Danny a fish out of water.
Is it arduous to play a personality you understand so nicely in a brand new setting?
The challenges of taking part in Danny in a brand new world assist me benefit from the character extra. Yeah, Danny strikes to Boston they usually all have totally different accents and everybody will root in opposition to the Yankees. It’s not only a powerful New York man who strikes to Boston and argues with everybody about what’s higher.
It’s [about] surrendering the motive force’s seat and being in the passenger seat. He’s a visitor at another person’s desk.
It all the time comes again to the dinner desk!
He has to study to navigate conversations extra politely. The issues that Danny has needed to adapt to, Donnie has needed to adapt to. If I embrace these challenges, it makes for a extra attention-grabbing character. If I do not, then I might most likely get bored after 15 years.
Did you all the time know that religion can be a side of the present?
Faith being a part of the present was necessary to everybody. The religion is totally different than Danny’s Catholic upbringing however we nonetheless get to see his upbringing and I feel that is actually necessary too. It’s not the Reagan household sitting across the desk saying grace however the truth that it is nonetheless there — to me — is simply as necessary. Especially with regards to religion, it says extra to me about Danny and Sean’s religion that they are honoring the Reagan traditions even after they’re a whole lot of miles away. They did not abandon it. They keep on with it they usually respect this new household’s traditions whereas nonetheless honoring their very own. The Reagan males are persevering with it now although they don’t seem to be in New York.
You may take a look at it as they don’t seem to be honoring their religion as a lot as they did in Blue Bloods. Or you might see it how I selected to see which is that they’re honoring it extra.
Andrew Terraciano performed Sean on Blue Bloods. Mika Amonsen took over the position on Boston Blue.
It’s a really layered dialog. Andrew is a category particular person. I referred to as him earlier than this determination was made — and spoke to him — and he was so gracious and so form and supportive. He was keen to do no matter it took to assist discover the precise man. We even joked about him altering up his look and sneaking on to Boston Blue and taking part in a foul man or doing one thing totally different. He was so humorous. I actually admire his class.
It was a troublesome determination — actually for me — and it is one of many choices that made me unsure about doing the present. It’s like, “How do we do this with a different character?” I’ve to say, Mika has the identical stage of grace and sophistication that Andrew confirmed. Mika has nice respect for Andrew. He stepped into the position very mindfully and punctiliously and he took his time. He was very considerate about how he went about taking part in this character.
Fans had ideas on the recasting.
People’s disappointment in the choice tells me they have not watched the present or they’re additionally upset that Blue Bloods is gone. I can guarantee each viewer on the market that no one was extra upset than me. Nobody cried greater than me. Nobody’s coronary heart was damaged greater than mine. I fought tooth and nail to avoid wasting Blue Bloods. I did every little thing I may and now we’re on to this and I’m going to combat tooth and nail for this present the identical method.
If anybody hasn’t absolutely embraced Sean’s change, watch the midseason premiere. It is simply my favourite episode thus far. I like Mika for taking up this problem and I like the best way he is dealt with it. I really like his work. I feel each variations of Sean off display screen are two wonderful people and I give them each an incredible quantity of credit score for a way they’ve dealt with this variation.
We’ve already seen Blue Bloods cameos, like Bridget Moynahan and Marisa Ramirez. Are there extra enjoyable surprises?
It’s a lot enjoyable to get to do that with the Blue Bloods solid members. We know this present stands on the shoulders of that present. We know that and so everybody has an awesome respect for the unique solid and the unique present. There are episodes which have nice which means like with Len Cariou’s episode. Sometimes I’ve to cease myself from crying. I’ve truly cried in the scene when Len aka Grandpa received to satisfy Mae and Lena. I cried after they mentioned reduce on the scene. It’s enjoyable to have individuals come again.
There are tons extra concepts that we now have. Hopefully sooner or later we can have had everybody come pay us a go to — and generally a number of visits. Baez has a couple of extra episodes this season and I do know persons are going to be inquisitive about how that performs out. Most individuals can be very completely satisfied about how it may play out going ahead. There’s plenty of alternatives and hopefully plenty of seasons to carry individuals again and to strive issues and to provide you with the precise methods to do it — not simply rush into it and for the sake of doing it.
What about new faces, like your spouse, Jenny McCarthy?
Jenny and I’ve mentioned it. We’ve all mentioned what she may presumably do on the present. What most individuals do not know is she was provided an element on Blue Bloods when we first started dating for an episode and we determined it was greatest to not do it. We did not wish to distract the viewers with that. But going ahead, we had talked about her being Sean’s nurse after which she catches Danny’s eye. But Sean did not keep in the hospital too lengthy… so Jenny’s undoubtedly recreation to do one thing.
Her and Sonequa Martin-Green have develop into very shut so that they’re speaking concepts. Every time I FaceTime with Jenny, Sonequa says one thing like, “Come on, we need to be part on the show. I need you here all the time.” It makes my coronary heart so completely satisfied. But I feel my nephews are additionally in taking part in components. They’re actors and we now have Oscar, Jeffrey and Brandon. They are all doing very nicely in their very own proper. Is there a world the place I lastly twist mark [Wahlberg]‘s arm to come back do an episode? Maybe. It depends upon the script however something’s potential.
That’s the enjoyment proper now of working with this group of writers. And the Brandons particularly is… I informed them on Monday that I had a telephone name with [the Boston Celtics’] Jaylen Brown and he mentioned, “Get me on the show.” I informed our EPs they usually wrote a scene like I sat there subsequent to them. That’s how we’re approaching this. We cannot simply do something haphazardly at any outdated given time. But they’re so recreation to strive issues and it is actually nearly ensuring we’re doing it the precise method and ensuring we’re giving it probably the most worth for the viewers.
It can be realizing we are able to take our time and we do not have to power all these items upon the viewers. We can stretch it out and preserve shocking them and preserve having twists and turns that they did not count on.
You can really feel the love that’s poured into the present for the followers.
There are nonetheless viewers of Blue Bloods who’re grappling with the truth that it isn’t in the air. Trust me, I do know. But I invite them to provide our present an opportunity and see how we carry Blue Bloods into it and search for the nodes and the winks and the homages and the tributes. There’s so a lot of them. Pay consideration when Danny is on the telephone to who he may be speaking to. What he is in his texts? There’s all the time easter eggs being sprinkled all through. To me, it is a lot enjoyable to place them in there. Blue Bloods followers are having enjoyable with it. The ones who’re watching our present, they’re having enjoyable with it as nicely.
