‘I Admire Mika for Taking on This Challenge’: Donnie Wahlberg Opens Up About The Sean Reagan Recast on ‘Boston Blue’
Find out what went into recreating the already beloved character of Sean Reagan on ‘Boston Blue’
For longtime Blue Bloods fans, tuning into Boston Blue may have come as a surprise—especially when the series reintroduced a familiar character. While the show follows Danny Reagan’s youngest son, Sean, as he begins a career with the Boston Police Department, the creative team made a notable casting change from the original series.
Andrew Terraciano portrayed Sean Reagan for 14 years on Blue Bloods, alongside his TV dad, Donnie Wahlberg. But when Boston Blue came around, creators Brandon Margolis and Brandon Sonnier decided the role needed to evolve along with Sean’s next chapter.
Wahlberg recently opened up to Us Weekly about the recasting of Sean Reagan and what it’s been like to resculpt the character with a new actor.
“It was a difficult decision—certainly for me—and it’s one of the decisions that made me uncertain about doing the show,” Wahlberg explained. “It’s like, “How do we do this with a different character?” I have to say, Mika [Amonsen] has the same level of grace and class that Andrew showed. Mika has great respect for Andrew. He stepped into the role very mindfully and carefully and he took his time. He was very thoughtful about how he went about playing this character.”
Wahlberg also got candid about the conversation he had with Terraciano, explaining that the actor was very gracious about the news.
“It’s a very layered conversation. Andrew is a class individual,” Wahlberg said. “I called him before this decision was made—and spoke to him—and he was so gracious and so kind and supportive. He was willing to do whatever it took to help find the right guy. We even joked about him changing up his look and sneaking on to Boston Blue and playing a bad guy or doing something different. He was so gracious. I truly admire his class.”
Wahlberg on why fans are upset about the recast
After 14 years of loving Terraciano as Sean Reagan, it’s understandable that fans would be shocked by the recast on Boston Blue, and Wahlberg understands. But the actor also knows that Blue Bloods fans need to give the new Sean, Mika Amonsen, a chance.
“People’s disappointment in the decision tells me they haven’t watched the show or they’re also disappointed that Blue Bloods is gone,” Wahlberg said. “If anyone hasn’t fully embraced the change of Sean, watch the midseason premiere. It is just my favorite episode so far. I admire Mika for taking on this challenge and I admire the way he’s handled it. I love his work. I think both versions of Sean off screen are two amazing individuals and I give them both a tremendous amount of credit for how they’ve handled this change.”
As for what led to the recast, Margolis and Sonnier shared it was all about allowing Sean to evolve.
“We love Andrew and the work he did over the years on Blue Bloods. Really, it came down to we’re telling a new chapter in both of their lives,” co-showrunner Margolis said. “It’s not just Sean who has joined the family business as it were and is turning over this new leaf, but it’s also now that Danny Reagan is the father to a cop, which he’s never been before.”
Meet Mika Amonsen: The new face of Sean Reagan on ‘Boston Blue’
Although Andrew Terraciano starred as Sean for several years, a new actor has stepped into the role to bring the character in this new direction. Mika Amonsen, who previously had roles in Thanksgiving (2023) and Whistle (2025), joined the cast of Boston Blue and has since brought a new interpretation to the character.
“It is the same character, it’s the same relationship, but it’s also completely different,” Margolis said. “We love what Mika has brought to Sean, this vulnerability, yet this desire to prove himself. It’s just been great to watch it come to life.”
Margolis also spoke about the transition in another interview, responding to some of the backlash from Blue Bloods viewers who were concerned with the change.
“Once we realized we were telling a very new chapter in this character’s life, creatively it made sense to find an actor with a different energy,” Margolis said. “Mika’s performance calls back to Sean’s vulnerabilities, but he brings a youthful energy that takes the character in a new direction we loved… it was a gamble to open the show on a new face — two new faces, actually — but the story required us to love him right away.”
Amonsen’s comments on the ‘Boston Blue’ casting change
The show creators aren’t the only ones who have dealt with the backlash over the casting change. Amonsen shared his thoughts on taking over the role and what it’s been like to step into this previously established character and take it in a new direction.
“There’s been some negativity, for sure,” Amonsen shared. “But when I look under those posts that have the negativity, there’s a lot of fans rallying for Sean and people saying that they really enjoyed this character that I’ve created—or my version of the character. They’re really enjoying the show and they love where it’s going in terms of Sean and that makes me happy.”
Amonsen also shared that despite some initial apprehension in taking on the role, he eventually figured out how to respect the character while bringing a new perspective.
“I definitely felt a ton of pressure at first. I felt the pressure to respect an actor before me because I wanted to respect Andrew the best I could. When I booked the show, it all happened really quickly… I did binge-watch as much as I could and I found doing the later seasons was more helpful. I wanted to get a sense of who Sean was toward the end of the show. I really wanted to get a sense of his character at that point into adulthood and his relationship with Danny.”
Andrew Terraciano breaks his silence
Despite not continuing as Sean Reagan on Boston Blue, Terraciano had nothing but kind words for the production and Amonsen.
“It’s beautiful because you’ll always remember every single line and every day that you had the opportunity to be that character,” Terraciano said. “It doesn’t mean for even a second that somebody else can’t go and do something beautiful with it. I got the joy of playing Sean, and I got to send him off into the world. Now somebody else gets that joy.”
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Woman's World does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.
