Donnie Wahlberg Praises Bridget Moynahan for Their Longtime Bond
After more than a decade working together on Blue Bloods, Donnie Wahlberg says he still values having Bridget Moynahan by his side.
The 56-year-old actor spoke about their friendship on October 14 during a special screening of his new series Boston Blue in New York City. The show continues the story of Danny Reagan following the end of Blue Bloods, which ran for 14 seasons before concluding in December 2024.
During a Q&A session with his new costar Sonequa Martin-Green, Wahlberg revealed that Moynahan almost never joined Blue Bloods in the first place.
“When I read the script and got offered the role of Danny Reagan, I couldn’t imagine anyone else playing my sister,” he said. “So I called Bridget and asked her to do it.”
But Moynahan initially turned the role down.
“She told me, ‘I already passed on that job,’” Wahlberg recalled. “And I said, ‘Well, come back — it’s going to be with me now.’”
Luckily, she reconsidered. Moynahan joined the cast as Assistant District Attorney Erin Reagan alongside stars Tom Selleck, Will Estes, and Len Cariou.
The two had already worked together before, appearing in the 2009 television movie Bunker Hill.
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A “Sisterly” Friendship Off-Screen
Wahlberg also credited Moynahan with helping him decide whether to take on the Blue Bloods spin-off Boston Blue.
“When I was considering the show, I called her,” he said. “She was so sisterly in the conversation. There was no ego involved — it was just my friend and sister talking honestly and challenging me.”
Although Moynahan is not a main cast member of Boston Blue, she makes a special guest appearance in the premiere and also directed one episode.
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Saying Goodbye to Blue Bloods
Back in April 2024, Moynahan spoke about the end of Blue Bloods during an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show.
She explained that the hardest part of the show ending was leaving behind the close-knit family the cast and crew had built over the years.
“I think it’s more saying goodbye to the people behind the characters,” she said. “We’ve created such a family on set. Most of the crew has been with us for 14 years, and we’ve been through weddings, births, deaths — everything together.”
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Wahlberg: “She Can Do Anything”
Moynahan also stepped behind the camera during the series, directing an episode — something Wahlberg strongly supported from the start.
“When someone told me Bridget wanted to direct, I said, ‘Yeah, and? She’s going to do it, right?’” Wahlberg said.
He added that he never doubted her abilities.