While Donnie Wahlberg has had the time of his life playing Danny Reagan on Blue Bloods, the actor is “not sad” that the show is ending after 14 seasons.
Donnie, 55, told TV Guide Magazine that he is “just incredibly grateful” for “the journey” that he has had on the show for the last 10 years. The New Kids on the Block singer is currently on the cover of the new Blue Bloods special issue of TV Guide Magazine with Tom Selleck and their other costars.
“There are moments in life when something happens that just kind of puts your life into perspective, not just your work or your career,” he said. “This final episode of Blue Bloods — and this! I remember going into grocery stores with my mom as a little kid and seeing the TV Guide right there at the checkout counter and wanting to get one but we couldn’t afford it. We could only just get what groceries we could, and anything extra was not coming into our house. And now I’m on the cover of a special edition, and it’s something that I worked on. I’m next to the guy from Magnum P.I., who I grew up watching.”
The second half of season 14 of Blue Bloods began airing on October 18. Donnie teased what’s to come for his character in the final episodes.
“There are a lot of questions that audience members have had for a long time that I think will be answered if not teased in a way that will give you answers for where people’s lives may go in the future,” he told TV Insider on October 23.
He also answered questions about whether or not romance was in the future for his Blue Bloods character.
“The possibility of a Danny/Baez romance has been discussed by a lot of people, not always by the show itself or the writers of the show, or even Marisa Ramirez and I,” he shared. “But I think the audience at first was reluctant for a possible Danny and Baez relationship because of the loss of Linda. I think that was very traumatic for the viewers. It was also very traumatic for me personally being a friend of Amy Carlson and for the show.”
“So I think for a long time everyone was very reluctant to even consider such a thing, but I think as the show is winding down, it’s become clear that they have a special partnership and a special bond and I don’t know and won’t say whether or not there will be or should be a relationship,” he added. “I will only say that the final episode will make a lot of people smile — that’s all I’m saying — and cry, but also smile.”
As fans have continued to hope that a Blue Bloods spinoff will be announced, CBS has yet to officially green light any spinoff. Still, Donnie is open to the idea of continuing on with the franchise in some capacity.
“There’s been a lot of talk about spinoffs, about various spinoffs, all types of concepts of spinoffs. I, for me personally, would say whatever happens next, if it’s done with the spirit of Blue Bloods and done with the care that we tried to put into Blue Bloods every week, it would be something that I would look forward to watching or being a part of either way,” he told TV Insider on October 17. “I’ve heard stories of prequels, sequels, you name it. For me personally, I love the show. I’ve enjoyed working on it for 14 years and like I said, whatever comes next, as long as it has family at its core and the spirit of Blue Bloods, then I’m all for it.”