Donnie Wahlberg Opens Up About Emotional Last Day on ‘Blue Bloods’
As CBS prepares to air part two of the final season of Blue Bloods, Donnie Wahlberg reflects on his 14-year journey and prepares to bid farewell to the beloved crime drama on the last day of filming.
Donnie Wahlberg reflects on his farewell and career impact after 'Blue Bloods'
Wahlberg, who portrayed Detective Danny Reagan for 14 seasons, shared that while he felt sad for the end of the series, he mostly felt grateful for being able to share the screen with stars like Tom Selleck.
“I felt tremendous gratitude, not saditude, but everyone cried,” Wahlberg shared. “Everyone was crying, of course. The last day was heartbreaking.”
While it has been 14 years since the debut of the police procedural, the years have gone by in a flash. But Wahlberg also said it’s been 14 long years of his life.
“It was a lot of emotions," Wahlberg said. "Because in one sense, the 14 years went by in the blink of an eye. In another sense, it's been 14 years of my life…”
Tom Selleck shares emotional moments during the 'Blue Bloods' finale
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Wahlberg wasn’t the only one feeling the emotions on the last day on set. Tom Selleck, who portrays Police Commissioner Frank Reagan, wasn’t ready for the end either, and he even shed a tear.
Selleck, who is one of Blue Bloods series regulars, didn’t just show up for his own final scenes — he was there for all of his on-screen kids too.
“When he shows up to watch you work and to be there to say goodbye to everyone, and like, I'm filming the scenes. I'm already emotional. I look across the room and I see him.” Wahlberg explained.
“He's really tall and he's standing above everyone in the back corner just watching with tears in his eyes,” Wahlberg shared of Selleck. “It just was like the waterworks turned on. I could literally cry just thinking about it.”
Selleck’s thoughts on the end of ‘Blue Bloods’
Wahlberg isn’t the only upset about the end of the series. Selleck, too, has some opinions about CBS’ decision to remove the series from the weekly lineup.
“I don’t believe in holding grudges… My frustration is the show was always taken for granted because it performed from the get-go. So how do I feel? It’s going to take a long time to sort all of this out.”
Selleck shared his wisdom without overpowering Wahlberg’s views
Wahlberg’s character is the son of Selleck’s, so the two have gotten quite close over the years. It's given Selleck a chance to share his wisdom with Wahlberg. Selleck has been in the industry since the 1970s, even snagging his own crime series in 1980, Magnum, P.I. But even though he’s got the experience, Wahlberg says he doesn’t hold it over anyone’s head on set.
“We have real conversations. We work,” Wahlberg shared. “I don't show up and go, ‘Tell me what to do, Tom’… we have a back and forth… there's a process and he respects me… what I do and what I bring to the table as I do him.”
As the end of Blue Bloods nears, fans and cast are preparing themselves to say goodbye to the Reagan family, awaiting one final Sunday night Reagan family dinner.
Tune in to watch the premiere of season 14 part 2, the final season, which airs tonight, October 18 at 10 pm on CBS.
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