Donnie Wahlberg
With an impressive background that spans the worlds of television, film and music, Donnie Wahlberg has captured the attention of audiences worldwide. He currently stars alongside Tom Selleck in the hit CBS show Blue Bloods, currently in its fourth season.
In 2009, Wahlberg was instrumental in putting together the phenomenally received reunion of New Kids On The Block, which yielded a new album and worldwide concert tour. In Summer 2011, he went on the NKOTBSB tour, uniting his band with Backstreet Boys and creating one of the most successful concert ventures in their history. The band played to sold out arenas throughout the US and Canada in 2013, and Wahlberg will once again be touring with NKOTB in 2014.
On the production side, Wahlberg is the Executive Producer of the critically acclaimed unscripted TNT series “Boston’s Finest,” a docudrama following the personal and professional lives of members of the Boston Police Department which just aired its second season finale to top ratings. Along with his brothers Mark and Paul, Wahlberg is also Executive Producer of the unscripted show “Wahlburgers,” a behind the scenes look at the restaurant they all own together that will air on A&E in January.
Wahlberg’s film career includes a pivotal role in “The Sixth Sense,” which was originally written for a 13-year-old boy until Wahlberg met with M. Night Shyamalan and ended up convincing the writer/director that no one else but he could play the role. He also co-starred with Mel Gibson in “Ransom” directed by Ron Howard, and starred in the independent film, “Southie.”
Wahlberg’s other television credits include co-starring with Harvey Keitel in the miniseries, “Path to 9/11,” the award-winning miniseries, “Band of Brothers,” “The Kill Point” and “Boomtown.”
Wahlberg began performing in plays and banging on pots and pans as early as the first grade. In high school, he attended a fledgling arts program and became involved in theater, acting, writing and directing plays. At age 14, he started a band that, in just a few years, went from playing at high school parties to becoming pop music sensation New Kids on the Block. At the height of the group’s popularity, Wahlberg decided to go in another direction by focusing on writing and producing for his brother, Mark. He then chose to explore his interest in acting and landed a role in “Bullet” with Mickey Rourke and Tupac Shakur, a project that lit a spark and motivated him to devote his energy to the craft of acting.
Wahlberg was born in Boston. His birth date is Aug. 17. Follow him on Twitter @DonnieWahlberg.