Donnie Wahlberg revealed if wife Jenny McCarthy — or brother Mark Wahlberg — could appear in future episodes of his Blue Bloods spinoff Boston Blue.
“Jenny and I have discussed it. We’ve all discussed what she could possibly do on the show,” Wahlberg, 56, exclusively told Us Weekly. “What most people don’t know is that she was offered a part on Blue Bloods when we first started dating for an episode and we decided it was best not to do it. We didn’t want to distract the audience with that.”
Wahlberg didn’t rule anything out, adding, “But going forward, we had talked about her being [my son] Sean’s nurse and then she catches Danny’s eye. But Sean didn’t stay in the hospital too long … so Jenny’s definitely game to do something.”
The actor pointed out that McCarthy, 53, has already become part of the cast.
“Her and [my costar] Sonequa Martin-Green have become very close so they’re talking ideas,” he noted. “Every time I FaceTime with Jenny, Sonequa says something like, ‘Come on, we you need to a part on the show. I need you here all the time.’ It makes my heart so happy.”
Wahlberg didn’t stop there with the suggestions. “But I think my nephews are also interested in playing parts. They’re actors and we have Oscar, Jeffrey and Brandon. They are all doing very well in their own right,” he continued. “Is there a world where I finally twist Mark’s arm to come do an episode? Maybe. It depends on the script but anything’s possible.”
Before Boston Blue, Blue Bloods followed the lives of the Reagan family, many of whom work for the NYPD under the leadership of NYC police commissioner Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck). Frank’s father, Henry Reagan (Len Cariou), was also central to the show, alongside Frank’s children: daughter Erin Reagan (Bridget Moynahan) and sons Danny (Wahlberg) and Jamie Reagan (Will Estes).
The show aired from 2010 to 2024 before CBS announced a spinoff. Wahlberg’s character is at the center of the spinoff, which picks up as the former NYPD officer takes on a position with the Boston P.D. He is then paired with detective Lena (Martin-Green), the eldest daughter of a prominent law enforcement family.
“That’s the joy right now of working with this group of writers. And the show runners specifically is … I told them on Monday that I had a phone call with [the Boston Celtics’] Jaylen Brown and he said, ‘Get me on the show,’” Wahlberg explained. “I told our EPs and they wrote a scene as I sat there next to them. That’s how we’re approaching this.”
Wahlberg has been having fun exploring new possibilities.
“We can’t just do anything haphazardly at any old given time,” he told Us. “But they are so game to try things and it’s really just about making sure we’re doing it the right way and making sure we’re giving it the most value for the audience.”
He concluded: “It is also realizing we can take our time and we don’t have to force all these things upon the audience. We can stretch it out and keep surprising them and keep having twists and turns that they didn’t expect.”
Boston Blue airs on CBS Fridays at 10 p.m. ET.
