Donnie Wahlberg joined Hoda & Jenna on TODAY to talk about the concluding season of Blue Bloods. He reflected on his 14 years of filming the series, expressing that the time truly felt like it passed in an instant. He expressed that he experienced a sense of “emotion” rather than “sadness” as the filming of the show came to an end.
As per Donnie Wahlberg, “This was an amazing opportunity and a wonderful experience, and I made so many amazing lifelong relationships and had a wonderful 14 years with our cast and crew in this city. It’s really more gratitude. It’s not sad-itude”.
Donnie Wahlberg reflected on the final scene he filmed alongside one of his co-stars, mentioning that Tom Selleck, another co-star, was present in the room observing. He emphasized that this was an unusual situation.
Donnie Wahlberg : “He’s a really serious, focused man, and he likes to cover up his emotions. He doesn’t like to show vulnerability. And I looked across, and he had tears in his eyes. That memory for me still brings up a lot for me just, you know, because it kind of made me reflect on not just the 14 years of the show, but my whole life’s journey.”
Donnie Wahlberg shared that he admired Tom Selleck long before they had the opportunity to collaborate.
“To watch this man on TV as a little kid in a family where we didn’t know if the lights were going to get turned off tonight, and if I’d ever be able to watch TV again, to suddenly now I’m working with this man, and he’s there to support me on my last day of work. It just filled me with tremendous humility,” he said.
Donnie and Tom have been collaborating since 2010, and over the years, they have developed a strong friendship. Tom Selleck, has consistently praised Donnie throughout the years, showing unwavering support, especially when the actor who plays Danny Reagan took on the role of director for an episode of Blue Bloods.
Donnie Wahlberg further revealed, “Tom Selleck is someone I affectionately refer to as Dad. Initially, he seemed a bit surprised by it during the first couple of seasons, often responding with, ‘Oh, hey, Donnie.’ However, as time has passed, our bond has deepened significantly. Now, he greets me with warmth, saying, ‘Oh, hey, son, how are you doing today?'”
Donnie expressed, “It feels as though we’ve truly formed a genuine family. While it will be difficult to part ways with them, I have no doubt that our bond will endure even after the cameras stop filming.”