I Had No Idea Donnie Wahlberg and Bridget Moynihan Had Worked Together Before Blue Bloods. How He Helped Her Nab The CBS Role

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably already know that CBS canceled Blue Bloods, though they gave the creative team a split final season as a consolation prize. The cast still seems upset about the news, as evidenced by myriad comments from cast members such as Tom Selleck who have said they don’t want the to say goodbye to the Reagans. As the show is slowly shifting toward its end, we’re still learning some cool behind-the-scenes secrets about Blue Bloods, and lead Donnie Wahlberg just shared a doozy. 

The show's currently still airing on the 2024 TV schedule, and he and his longtime co-star Bridget Moynahan were doing press rounds for it recently, including on Drew Barrymore’s daytime series. Of course, they spoke about being “sad” the show is ending given its popularity, but the tidbit I was most interested in had to do with Wahlberg saying he’d had a hand in helping Moynahan nab the CBS gig. Apparently, they'd worked together prior, with the actor revealing: 

Back in 2008, Jerry Bruckheimer was putting together a TV series going by the name of Bunker Hill. The Boston-set pilot had Donnie Wahlberg in it and -- surprise!-- he was playing a cop, similar to Blue Bloods. As casting continued, Moynahan had joined that potential drama as Wahlberg’s character’s sister-in-law, a bit of a change-up to the relationship she and Wahlberg eventually signed on for on the small screen. 

The pilot never moved forward, but honestly, that seemingly ended up being a boon for both actors. Just a couple of years later, the script for the Reagan-oriented pilot ran around and a lightbulb went on in the New Kids on the Block singer's head.  He pitched his former co-star, and the rest has been TV history in the making. In fact, their new series has persevered and been a huge ratings success for 14 seasons, even after CBS relegated the show to Friday nights and cut the budget. 

Moynahan paid back the favor threefold though. Apparently, it was she who really convinced Jenny McCarthy to start dating Wahlberg. The actress “nudged” them to get together and had only nice things to say about her co-star when Jenny started asking around. She noted: 

Alls well that ends in wedding bells, as Donnie and Jenny were married back in 2014, four years after Blue Bloods hit the schedule. Years later, Jenny and Donnie are still hot and heavy, and Blue Bloods is still on the air, proving that while some things change, many don’t. 

Speaking of which, there’s a rumor out there Blue Bloods may not end when expected after all. We’ll be sure to keep you posted no matter how many Reagan family dinners end up being left!