Donnie Wahlberg has been playing Detective Danny Reagan on Blue Bloods for 14 seasons, and he’s witnessed a lot of Hollywood happenings along the way.
One of the biggest “what ifs” in his own show is how real-life wife Jenny McCarthy almost joined the cast.
“Jenny almost made an appearance on Blue Bloods.” Kevin Wade, the show’s executive producer, asked if she could play Danny’s high school sweetheart [in Season 4’s “Growing Boys.”] Jenny, to her credit, declined because we had only recently begun dating publicly,” Wahlberg said. “Like Tom said to Larry, she didn’t want to disrupt the audience.” Instead, Charisma Carpenter played the part.”
Donnie did, however, mention that he and Jenny want to collaborate more, most likely in a non-scripted setting.
“I don’t usually watch comedies, but White Lotus was a lot of fun,” Wahlberg said when asked if he’d ever act in a comedy. “However, I enjoy doing comedy. Jenny (McCarthy) always said we should do a comedy together. So we treated Donnie Loves Jenny (their 2015-2016 reality show) as our sitcom. We’re currently working on non-scripted shows. “Our ambition is to co-host a game show.”
Donnie Wahlberg also produces and hosts the true cr1me show Very Scary People.
In the same interview with TV Insider, Wahlberg stated that no matter what he does in the entertainment industry, he is grateful to be able to “have fun” for a living.
“With as much fun as I’m having, 13 years [on Blue Bloods] have really flown by,” he said. “I know there’s another version of my life where I could have a completely different, more difficult job like my father did.” He worked a variety of jobs, but his main one was driving a truck. When we were kids, he delivered lunches to public schools, so we grew up eating public school food that he brought home. I’m sure I’d have enjoyed that job as well, but this is the job I’ve always wanted.”
His “dream job” has also given him a high profile, particularly among real-life cops, who seem to enjoy his long-running show.
When asked if cops stop him for pictures, Wahlberg admitted, “All the time, everywhere.” “However, there is a sense of camaraderie and appreciation among New York cops.”
“When Jenny first hosted New Year’s Eve with Ryan Seacrest, we were dating.” “And I must have been stopped 2,000 times for pictures that night,” he continued. “‘I’m the host of the show with Ryan, and everyone’s stopping you!’ said Jenny.” It’s a sign that they enjoy our show, which is a huge compliment.”