Donnie Wahlberg

Donald Edmond Wahlberg Jr.[1] (born August 17, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actor, record producer, and film producer. He is a founding member of the boy band New Kids on the Block. Outside music, he has had roles in the Saw films, Zookeeper, Dreamcatcher, The Sixth Sense, Righteous Kill, and Ransom, as well as appearing in the World War II miniseries Band of Brothers as Carwood Lipton. From 2002 to 2003, he starred in the crime drama Boomtown. He has been starring in the drama series Blue Bloods as Danny Reagan since 2010, and since 2014 is an executive producer of the TNT reality television show Boston's Finest.[2] He was nominated for Choice Scream at the 2006 Teen Choice Awards for his work in the Saw films. He has also produced and starred in Rock This Boat, Donnie Loves Jenny and Return of the Mac on Pop TV. He also produced and starred in Wahlburgers on A&E TV.

Donnie Wahlberg
Wahlberg in 2010
Born
Donald Edmond Wahlberg Jr.

(1969-08-17) August 17, 1969
Occupation
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • rapper
  • actor
  • record producer
  • film producer
Years active1984–present
Spouse(s)
Kim Fey
(m. 1999; div. 2008)

(m. 2014)
Children2
RelativesMark Wahlberg (brother)
Robert Wahlberg (brother)
Paul Wahlberg (brother)
Musical career
Genres
InstrumentsVocals
Labels
Associated acts

Early life

Wahlberg was born in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston. He is the eighth of nine children, with older siblings, Arthur, Jim, Paul, Robert, Tracey, Michelle, and Debbie, and younger brother, Mark, who began his entertainment career formerly as the leader of the early 1990s rap group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. He also has three half-siblings from his father's first marriage: Donna, Scott, and Buddy. His mother, Alma Elaine (née Donnelly), was a bank clerk and nurse's aide, and his father, Donald Edmond Wahlberg Sr., was a teamster who worked as a delivery driver; they divorced in 1982.[3][4] His father was of Swedish and Irish descent, and his mother is of Irish, English, and French-Canadian ancestry.[5] Maternally, he is distantly related to author Nathaniel Hawthorne.[6]

Career

New Kids on the Block

Wahlberg in February 1990

As a recording artist, Wahlberg is known as an original member of the boy band New Kids on the Block.

Acting career

Wahlberg's first film acting role was in the 1996 film Bullet with Mickey Rourke and Tupac Shakur. Also in 1996, he appeared as a kidnapper in Ransom with Mel Gibson. He went back to his home town for a starring role in the South Boston-based film Southie. Wahlberg received attention for his role in the 1999 film The Sixth Sense, playing the patient of Bruce Willis's character in the opening sequence.

In 2001, Wahlberg co-starred as Second Lieutenant C. Carwood Lipton in the television miniseries Band of Brothers. He also starred in the 2002–2003 NBC drama series Boomtown as Joel Stevens, a Los Angeles police detective. Graham Yost, executive producer and writer of Boomtown, had worked with him in Band of Brothers and was so impressed by his performance that he wrote the role of Joel Stevens specifically for him.

In 2003, Wahlberg starred alongside Timothy Olyphant, Jason Lee, and his Band of Brothers co-star Damian Lewis as the mentally challenged Duddits in William Goldman and Lawrence Kasdan's adaptation of the Stephen King alien-invasion thriller, Dreamcatcher. In 2005, he starred as Detective Eric Matthews in the second installment of the Saw series. He reprised the role in Saw III in 2006 and Saw IV in 2007, also appearing in Saw V in 2008 via archive footage from the previous films.

In 2006, Wahlberg played Lieutenant Commander Burton in the military/boxing drama Annapolis. In September 2006, he played the lead role in the short-lived television drama Runaway on The CW. The show was cancelled in October 2006 due to poor ratings. In 2007, he starred in the television film Kings of South Beach on A&E. Also in 2007, he starred on the TV series The Kill Point.

In 2008, Wahlberg appeared in Righteous Kill and co-starred in What Doesn't Kill You.

Wahlberg stars as 1st Grade Detective Danny Reagan on CBS's Blue Bloods, a police drama set in New York City.[7]

As of 2011, Wahlberg is the host of an internet radio show on Friday nights at 8 pm PST called "DDUB's R&B Back Rub" on Cherry Tree Radio.[8] and appeared in the 2011 comedy Zookeeper.

Personal life

In 1991, Wahlberg was charged with first-degree arson for setting a fire at the historic Seelbach Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. Authorities stated that Wahlberg, then known as the "bad boy" of boy band New Kids on the Block, was partying with fellow band member Danny Wood and fans in the early morning hours when Wahlberg dumped vodka on a hallway carpet and ignited it. Wahlberg was facing up to twenty years in prison, but the charge was later reduced to misdemeanor criminal mischief, and eventually dismissed after Wahlberg agreed to appear in public-service videos addressing fire safety, drug abuse, and drunk driving.[9]

Wahlberg married Kimberly Fey on August 20, 1999, with whom he has two sons. They filed for divorce on August 13, 2008, citing irreconcilable differences.[10] In July 2013, it was reported by Us Weekly that he was dating actress and comedian Jenny McCarthy after meeting on Watch What Happens Live in March.[11] They announced their engagement on The View on April 16, 2014,[12] and wed on August 31, 2014, at the Hotel Baker in St. Charles, Illinois.[13][14][15]

Wahlberg is a fan of the Boston Celtics and has been seen attending many of their games. He narrated The Association: Boston Celtics, a documentary about the team's 2010 season,[16] and co-narrated, alongside Ice Cube, the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies, about the Celtics' rivalry with the Los Angeles Lakers.[17] He co-owns a Boston restaurant called Wahlburgers with brothers Paul and Mark.

In February 2016, Wahlberg endorsed Marco Rubio for president of the United States.[18]

Discography

New Kids on the Block albums

Solo

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1996 Bullet Shelby "Big Balls" Horne
Ransom Cubby Barnes
Black Circle Boys Greggo
1998 Body Count Booker
Butter Rick Damon
Southie Danny Quinn
1999 The Sixth Sense Vincent Grey
Purgatory Deputy Glen/Billy the Kid
2000 Bullfighter Chollo
Diamond Men Bobby Walker
2002 Triggermen Hitman Terry Mulloy
2003 Dreamcatcher Douglas "Duddits" Cavell
2005 Saw II Detective Eric Matthews Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Scream
Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School Randall Ipswitch
2006 Annapolis Commander Burton
Saw III Detective Eric Matthews
2007 Dead Silence Detective Jim Lipton
Saw IV Detective Eric Matthews
2008 Saw V Detective Eric Matthews Archive footage
Righteous Kill Detective Ted Reily
What Doesn't Kill You Detective Moran
2011 Zookeeper Shane
Cast of TV series Blue Bloods at the 2010 Summer Session of the Television Critics Association.

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1998 The Taking of Pelham One Two Three Mr. Grey TV movie
1999 Purgatory Deputy Glen/Billy the Kid
2000 The Practice Patrick Rooney Episode: "Settling"
2001 UC: Undercover Bobby Episode: "City on Fire"
Band of Brothers Carwood Lipton 10 episodes
Big Apple Chris Scott 7 episodes
2002–2003 Boomtown Detective Joel Stevens 24 episodes
2005 N.Y.-70 Det. Mike Ryan TV movie
2006–2008 Runaway Paul Rader 10 episodes
2006 The Path to 9/11 Detective Kirk 2 episodes
2007 The Kill Point Detective Horst Cali 8 episodes
Kings of South Beach Detective Andy TV movie
2009 Bunker Hill Detective Mike Moriarty
2010 In Plain Sight Jimmy McCabe / Jimmy Porter Episode: "Father Goes West"
Rizzoli & Isles Lt. Joey Grant 2 episodes
2010–present Blue Bloods Detective Danny Reagan Main role
Nominated People's Choice Award for Favorite TV Crime Drama Actor (2017)[19]
2013 Boston's Finest Narrator 8 episodes
2014–2019 Wahlburgers Himself Reality show
2015–present Rock This Boat: New Kids On The Block
2015–2016 Donnie Loves Jenny
2016 Fuller House Episode: "New Kids in the House"
2017 Return of the Mac 8 episodes

Video games

Year Title Role Notes
2008 Turok Shepherd (voice)

References

  1. "Donnie Wahlberg". TV Guide. Retrieved March 9, 2017.
  2. Brophy, Ed (November 27, 2012). "First Look: Donnie Wahlberg's New TNT Reality Show 'Boston's Finest'". tvfishbowl.com. Retrieved February 27, 2013.
  3. "Donnie Wahlberg Biography (1969–)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved February 19, 2011.
  4. "Donnie Wahlberg Biography – Yahoo! Movies". Movies.yahoo.com. Retrieved February 19, 2011.
  5. "Ancestry of Mark Wahlberg". Wargs.com. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  6. Pierce, Kathleen (May 14, 2011). "Just call him pop culture's sleuth". The Boston Globe.
  7. "'Blue Bloods' Star Donnie Wahlberg Engaged To Jenny McCarthy". CBS News. Associated Press. April 16, 2014. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
  8. "DDUB'S R&B Back Rub on Cherrytree Radio". Cherrytree Records. October 8, 2009. Retrieved February 19, 2011.
  9. "Arson Charges Dismissed Against Donnie Wahlberg". Orlando Sentinel. October 22, 1991. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  10. Lee, Ken (August 18, 2008). "Donnie Wahlberg and His Wife File for Divorce – Breakups, Donnie Wahlberg". People.com. Retrieved February 19, 2011.
  11. "New Couple Alert! Jenny McCarthy, Donnie Wahlberg Are Dating".
  12. "Donnie Wahlberg and Jenny McCarthy announce engagement - Boston.com".
  13. Corriston, Michele (September 3, 2014). "Jenny McCarthy and Donnie Wahlberg Share Their First Newlywed Selfie". People. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  14. Rothman, Michael (September 4, 2014). "Exclusive: Donnie Wahlberg Talks Love of Photography, 'Exciting' Wedding to Jenny McCarthy". ABC News. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  15. Webber, Stephanie (September 5, 2014). "Jenny McCarthy, Donnie Wahlberg Wedding: Exclusive Pictures, More Details". Us Weekly. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  16. "Donnie Wahlberg to narrate TV series on Boston Celtics – ESPN Boston". Sports.espn.go.com. December 1, 2010. Retrieved February 19, 2011.
  17. Finn, Chad (June 14, 2017). "Donnie Wahlberg talks new Celtics-Lakers documentary and toughness of the '80s NBA". www.boston.com. Boston Globe. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
  18. Watkins, Eli. "Donnie Wahlberg thinks Marco Rubio has the right stuff". CNN. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
  19. "People's Choice Awards 2017: Full List Of Winners". People's Choice. January 19, 2017. Archived from the original on January 20, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
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