Fans of “Blue Bloods” most likely remember that Donnie Wahlberg’s character Danny Reagan and his wife Linda experienced several difficulties in their marriage throughout the couple’s tenure on the show. Despite the characters’ best efforts, the pair probably won’t win the award for TV’s best couple. But when the cameras stop rolling, the dynamic couldn’t be more different, especially regarding their relationship after Amy Carlson left the CBS series.
The last time viewers saw Linda Reagan was in the final episode of Season 7, “The Thin Blue Lie.” The follow-up set of entries revealed she died in between seasons in a tragic helicopter accident. Despite her not being in the mix for Season 8, Donnie Wahlberg couldn’t help but offer praise and get emotional over not getting to work with Carlson anymore, which she very much appreciated. “He said something really sweet about me on the ‘Andy Cohen Live’ show the other day, and even the very first night that the series aired this season, he said something about his tears were for missing me and for loss of working with me as an acting partner,” the actress said in an interview with Deadline in November 2017. “He’s just been so generous and sweet. I could just tear up right now thinking about how sweet he’s been. I miss working with Donnie. I miss playing those scenes with him.”
It’s pretty evident that Wahlberg most certainly reveres Carlson’s efforts on the show. After showing such emotion and offering praise, some might wonder how the actor feels about his other “Blue Bloods” co-stars.
Donnie Wahlberg is grateful for the connections he’s made on Blue Bloods
While Danny Reagan is known for sporting a tough-as-nails demeanor and isn’t necessarily notorious for being a nice guy while keeping the streets of New York safe, the actor that plays the detective on “Blue Bloods” is arguably nicer than his onscreen counterpart, especially when it comes to how he feels about his fellow cast members. While he has no shortage of appreciation for his time with Amy Carlson, there are other people in the lineup he has shown praise for in the past. Jennifer Esposito played Danny Reagan’s partner, Detective Jackie Curatola, for several seasons before exiting. Wahlberg has only had great things to say when describing her status as a partner, actor, and friend. And the actor apparently lucked out with another one of his partners in fighting crime. In a touching Instagram shoutout to Marisa Ramirez, the actress that plays detective Maria Baez, Wahlberg wrote, “Onscreen and off — I could not ask for a more incredible, trustworthy and absolutely hilarious friend/partner.”
But it isn’t just Danny Reagan’s partners that Wahlberg recognizes as more than just co-workers. The Reagan family bond seen on screen is actually more authentic than most people would imagine. “We have a real dynamic like a real family. Bridget Moynahan is like my sister and my confidante, and we’re very close friends,” Donnie Wahlberg said in a 2019 interview. “Will Estes is an amazing actor; he’s like my younger brother. And of course, Tom Selleck is like our dad.”
The “Blue Bloods” actor isn’t shy about letting people know about his strong connections to his fellow cast members, and if anyone was wondering, their bond runs deeper than just what’s written on a page in the script.