From Teen Idol to TV Cop: Donnie Wahlberg’s Wild Ride From NKOTB to ‘Blue Bloods’
Before he was TV’s Danny Reagan, he was a pop heartthrob — and his story only gets better
Before he was scouring the streets of New York City (and soon Boston) on the hunt for crime as Detective Danny Reagan, Donnie Wahlberg was dropping hits as one-fifth of New Kids on the Block. As he took the entertainment world by storm, Wahlberg was making a name for himself, not only as an actor and singer but also as an entrepreneur.
Now, as he gears up to bring Danny Reagan back to life, Wahlberg is also still performing with New Kids on the Block, also known as NKOTB, as they continue their Las Vegas Residency. But while you get ready to watch him on your screen weekly again, get a glimpse into the early life of Donnie Wahlberg and remember exactly why you fell in love with the actor.
Wahlberg, the eighth of nine siblings, was born Donald Edmond Wahlberg Jr. on August 17, 1969, to Donald and Alma in Boston, Massachusetts. Music was a love of the singer’s from an early age when he became interested in soul and rap, resulting in he and friend Danny Wood coming up with rap lyrics instead of doing homework on the bus ride home.
The duo continued to express their love for rap by forming a group in high school called the Kool Aid Bunch.
“[We didn’t continue] because we thought we’d be rap or dance stars someday, but just because it was really fun and we loved the girls screaming for us at parties,” Wahlberg shared.
Donnie was a founding member of NKOTB
At a mere 15 years old in 1984, Wahlberg was discovered by producer Maurice Starr when he impressed him with his rapping skills. Starr had previously been working with the R&B group New Edition and was on the hunt for his next big thing.
Wahlberg attended an audition where he was the first chosen for the group. His younger brother, Mark, was also selected but he dropped out after only a few months.
“There was about 7 people auditioning, thank God, because we probably wouldn’t have made it,” Wahlberg shared in an interview. “My brother Mark was actually one of the first members with me, but he couldn’t sing.”
Wahlberg explained that he convinced his hometown friends—Danny Wood, Jonathan and Jordan Knight—to talk to Starr. Eventually, he decided to recruit Joey McIntyre in addition to the four.
The early days of NKOTB were a struggle
Despite the group coming together fairly easily, their music wasn’t exactly a hit early on. New Kids on the Block released a self-titled debut album in 1986, though it didn’t perform very well. They tried again with their second album, Hangin’ Tough, which seemed like it was going to follow in the debut’s footsteps.
But when the lead single, “Please Don’t Go Girl,” began playing on the radio, everything changed. The song peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Singles Chart, followed by the song “You Got It (The Right Stuff)” at No. 3 and “I’ll Be Loving You (Forever)” at No. 1. By 1989, the album had skyrocketed to No. 1 in the country.
The group had another hit on their hands with a holiday album in 1989, Merry, Merry Christmas, as well as 1990’s Step by Step. However, by 1994, the group had made some changes, including parting with Starr and releasing an unsuccessful album in the form of Face the Music. They split up later that year.
Wahlberg gets the acting bug
Just a couple of years after his massive music career came to an end, Wahlberg was hit with the desire to give acting a shot, and he booked his debut role in Bullet (1996). He followed that with multiple film parts in Ransom (1996), Purgatory (1999) and Diamond Men (2000).
Acting became his main focus as he booked bigger parts in films and series such as Band of Brothers (2001), Boomtown (2002-2003) and Saw II (2005).
NKOTB gives it another go
In 2008, the members of New Kids on the Block announced they would be re-banding after 14 years apart. In May, they performed their first show together since 1994, live on the TODAY show. Their reunion was a major success, likely due to their long hiatus.
The group released a comeback album titled The Block, which shot up to No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart, embarking on a reunion tour shortly thereafter.They have since released three more albums—10 in 2013, Thankful in 2017 and Still Kids in 2024.
The actor becomes a family man
In 1993, Wahlberg welcomed his first child, son Xavier, with his then-girlfriend, Kimberly Fey. The couple married six years later in 1999. Soon, Fey and Wahlberg were the parents of two, welcoming son Elijah, in 2001.
The couple remained together for nearly a decade after that, though they eventually split up in 2010 due to “irreconcilable differences.” In 2014, Wahlberg exchanged vows with actress and model Jenny McCarthy, who he’s been with ever since.
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