Donnie Wahlberg
Donnie Wahlberg | |
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![]() Wahlberg in 2010 | |
Born | Donald Edmond Wahlberg Jr. August 17, 1969 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1984–present |
Spouse(s) |
Kim Fey (m. 1999–2008) |
Children | 2 |
Relatives | Mark Wahlberg (brother) Robert Wahlberg (brother) Paul Wahlberg (brother) |
Musical career | |
Genres | |
Donald Edmond Wahlberg Jr.[1] (born August 17, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, 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, The Sixth Sense, Dreamcatcher, and Righteous Kill, Ransom, also 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 produces and stars in Wahlburgers on A&E TV.
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 (died in 2003), and younger brother, Mark, who began his entertainment career formerly as the leader of the early '90s 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. (May 8, 1930 – February 14, 2008), 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
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/Donnie_Wahlberg_at_the_1990_Grammys.jpg/220px-Donnie_Wahlberg_at_the_1990_Grammys.jpg)
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 a historic 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 set it on fire. Wahlberg was facing up to 20 years in prison, but the charge was later reduced to misdemeanor criminal mischief, and eventually dismissed after Wahlberg agreed to participate in public service videos on fire safety, drug abuse and drunk driving.[9]
Wahlberg married Kimberly Fey on August 20, 1999. They filed for divorce on August 13, 2008, citing "irreconcilable differences".[10] They have two sons, Xavier Alexander Wahlberg (born March 4, 1993) and Elijah Hendrix Wahlberg (born August 20, 2001). In July 2013, it was reported by UsWeekly 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 passionate fan of the Boston Celtics and has been seen attending many of their games. He narrated a documentary called "The Association: Boston Celtics" about the team's 2010–11 season, which aired on ESPN between 2010 and 2011,[16] as well as co-narrating (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 also owns a restaurant in Boston named Wahlburgers with brothers Paul (the restaurant's head chef) and Mark.
In February 2016, Wahlberg endorsed Marco Rubio for President of the United States.[18]
Discography
New Kids on the Block albums
- New Kids on the Block (1986)
- Hangin' Tough (1988)
- Step by Step (1990)
- Face the Music (1994)
- The Block (2008)
- 10 (2013)
- Thankful (EP) (2017)
Solo
- "The Right Combination" — duet with Seiko Matsuda (1990)
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 | |
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 & 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 | |
Righteous Kill | Detective Ted Reily | ||
What Doesn't Kill You | Detective Moran | ||
2011 | Zookeeper | Shane |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/09/Blue_Bloods_cast_TCA_2010.jpg/220px-Blue_Bloods_cast_TCA_2010.jpg)
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1998 | The Taking of Pelham One Two Three | Mr. Grey | Movie |
1999 | Purgatory | Deputy Glen/Billy the Kid | Movie |
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 | 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 | Movie | |
2009 | Bunker Hill | Detective Mike Moriarty | Movie |
2010 | In Plain Sight | Jimmy McCabe / Jimmy Porter | Episode: "Father Goes West" |
Rizzoli & Isles | Lt. Joey Grant | 2 episodes | |
2010–present | Blue Bloods | Detective Daniel Reagan | Main role Nominated – People's Choice Award for Favorite TV Crime Drama Actor (2017)[19] |
2013 | Boston's Finest | Narrator | 8 episodes |
2014–present | Wahlburgers | Himself | Reality show |
2015–2016 | Donnie Loves Jenny | Himself | Reality show |
2016 | Fuller House | Himself | Guest appearance |
2017 | Return of the Mac | Himself | 8 episodes |
Video games
Year | Title | Voice role |
---|---|---|
2008 | Turok | Shepherd |
References
- ^ "Donnie Wahlberg". TV Guide. Retrieved March 9, 2017.
- ^ Brophy, Ed (November 27, 2012). "First Look: Donnie Wahlberg's New TNT Reality Show "Boston's Finest"". tvfishbowl.com. Retrieved February 27, 2013.
- ^ "Donnie Wahlberg Biography (1969–)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved February 19, 2011.
- ^ "Donnie Wahlberg Biography – Yahoo! Movies". Movies.yahoo.com. Retrieved February 19, 2011.
- ^ "Ancestry of Mark Wahlberg". Wargs.com. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
{{cite web}}
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suggested) (help) - ^ Pierce, Kathleen (May 14, 2011). "Just call him pop culture's sleuth". The Boston Globe.
- ^ "'Blue Bloods' Star Donnie Wahlberg Engaged To Jenny McCarthy". CBS News. Associated Press. April 16, 2014. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
- ^ "DDUB'S R&B Back Rub on Cherrytree Radio". Cherrytree Records. October 8, 2009. Retrieved February 19, 2011.
- ^ "Arson Charges Dismissed Against Donnie Wahlberg". Orlando Sentinel. October 22, 1991. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
- ^ Lee, Ken (August 18, 2008). "Donnie Wahlberg and His Wife File for Divorce – Breakups, Donnie Wahlberg". People.com. Retrieved February 19, 2011.
- ^ "New Couple Alert! Jenny McCarthy, Donnie Wahlberg Are Dating".
- ^ "Donnie Wahlberg and Jenny McCarthy announce engagement - Boston.com".
- ^ Corriston, Michele (September 3, 2014). "Jenny McCarthy and Donnie Wahlberg Share Their First Newlywed Selfie". People. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
- ^ Rothman, Michael (September 4, 2014). "Exclusive: Donnie Wahlberg Talks Love of Photography, 'Exciting' Wedding to Jenny McCarthy". ABC News. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
- ^ Webber, Stephanie (September 5, 2014). "Jenny McCarthy, Donnie Wahlberg Wedding: Exclusive Pictures, More Details". Us Weekly. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
- ^ "Donnie Wahlberg to narrate TV series on Boston Celtics – ESPN Boston". Sports.espn.go.com. December 1, 2010. Retrieved February 19, 2011.
- ^ Finn, Chad (14 June 2017). "Donnie Wahlberg talks new Celtics-Lakers documentary and toughness of the '80s NBA". www.boston.com. Boston Globe. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
- ^ Watkins, Eli. "Donnie Wahlberg thinks Marco Rubio has the right stuff". CNN. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
- ^ "People's Choice Awards 2017: Full List Of Winners". People's Choice. January 19, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Donnie Wahlberg at IMDb
- Donnie Wahlberg on X
- 1969 births
- 20th-century American male actors
- 20th-century American singers
- 21st-century American male actors
- 21st-century American singers
- American male film actors
- American male singers
- American male television actors
- American people of English descent
- American people of French-Canadian descent
- American people of Irish descent
- American people of Swedish descent
- Living people
- Male actors from Boston
- New Kids on the Block members
- Singers from Massachusetts
- Wahlberg family
- People from Dorchester, Massachusetts
- Participants in American reality television series