Donnie Wahlberg is finally realizing a long-held dream: filming a television series in his hometown of Boston. The twist? He’s doing it while playing a New Yorker.
A lifelong Red Sox fan, Wahlberg brings his Blue Bloods character Danny Reagan from New York City to Massachusetts in CBS’s new spin 
off, Boston Blue, leaning directly into the historic New York Boston rivalry. “I loved New York for 14 years working there. I loved it so much,” Wahlberg says. “But I would never root for any of the New York teams. I’ve never stopped being a Boston fan still die hard, still loyal to the end.”
On screen, however, Wahlberg has to set aside that allegiance. Danny Reagan, the tough NYPD detective audiences followed for years on Blue Bloods, heads north to Boston after a family tragedy, finding himself very much out of place in a city that, in real life, feels like home to the actor.
“Being able to continue Danny Reagan’s story is incredibly exciting, but it also comes with a lot of responsibility and pressure,” says Wahlberg, who balances his acting career with his role as a member of New Kids on the Block.
That pressure stems from carrying forward the legacy of Blue Bloods, the Tom Selleck led series that ran for 14 seasons before ending in 2024 and from portraying Boston authentically. “If we don’t get the city right, if we don’t honor the Reagan family and their traditions, it’s easy to get it wrong,” Wahlberg explains. “I’m from Boston. I’ve heard bad accents in movies before, and I know how much that matters.”
In Boston Blue, Danny forms close ties with a new, extended law enforcement family that mirrors the structure of the Reagans. He partners with a local detective played by Sonequa Martin Green, whose family is deeply rooted in public service: her mother is the district attorney, her sister serves as police superintendent, and her brother works as a patrol officer.
“He recognizes parts of himself in this family,” Wahlberg says. “He’s still Danny Reagan, but this new environment gives him a chance to grow and see things differently.”
Series co creator Brandon Sonnier, who developed the show with writing partner Brandon Margolis, says continuing the Blue Bloods legacy was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. “I love a good procedural, and I love strong family drama,” Sonnier says. “When you combine the two, that’s exactly the kind of show I want to make.”