'Boston Blue': Donnie Wahlberg Offered Paycheck to Film in Boston
Donnie Wahlberg loves his native city of Boston. The actor appeared on SiriusXM's Andy Cohen Live to promote his new series, Blue Bloods spin-off Boston Blue, where he discussed the ins and outs of filming. Wahlberg joined Andy Cohen and co-host John Hill for the interview.
Donnie Wahlberg on Filming Boston Blue
Cohen asked Wahlberg about whether the series actually films in Boston or Toronto, a popular shooting location. Blue Bloods, which ran for 14 seasons from 2010 to 2024, shot on location in New York City. The spin-off focuses on Wahlberg's character, Danny Reagan, who leaves the NYPD to join the Boston PD, where he partners with Sonequa Martin-Green's Lena Silver, "the oldest daughter of a notable Boston law enforcement family."
Wahlberg responded, "We do both," before revealing that the Powers That Be wanted to primarily film the show in Toronto, citing that it's too expensive to shoot on location. "I was like, 'No. No,' so I said, 'Listen, I'll give back 50 percent of my paycheck if we can go to Boston.'"
According to Wahlberg, the producers countered his offer with this: "You can give back 100 percent, and so can the rest of the cast. We cannot film this show in Boston, but we'll do a couple."
The Downside of Filming on Location
Wahlberg conceded that the price tag was too high to film in his hometown, but added that Boston Blue couldn't shoot on location because of his fame. He's well-known around town and proud of his Bostonian roots.
He told Cohen, "You hear, 'Oh my god, there's Donnie Wahlberg right over there on the corner. I grew up near Donnie. Everyone, get your cameras out,' and then I gotta run over to the duck boat and pose for pictures with everyone and my cousins, my uncles, my aunts, my nieces, my nephews ... we wouldn't get any work done."
In addition to Wahlberg and Martin-Green, Boston Blue stars Marcus Scribner, Maggie Lawson, Mika Amonsen, Gloria Reuben, and Ernie Hudson. The crime drama hails from co-creators Brandon Sonnier and Brandon Margolis, who also serve as co-showrunners. Wahlberg and Jerry Bruckheimer are executive producers.
Boston Blue airs Fridays at 10/9c on CBS, while you can catch new episodes of Andy Cohen Live Mondays through Fridays at 10 a.m. ET on Radio Andy (Channel 102) and on the SiriusXM app. Watch the clip featuring Wahlberg and Cohen: