“Inside the Heartfelt Connection Between Donnie Wahlberg and His TV ‘Dad’ Tom Selleck”

For Donnie Wahlberg and Tom Selleck, life truly mirrored art on the set of Blue Bloods. Portraying the father-son duo Frank and Danny Reagan, the co-stars have developed a genuine bond that extends beyond the screen. Off-camera, Donnie affectionately refers to Tom as “Dad.” Initially, Tom was taken aback by this informal address, but over time, their relationship has deepened, and now Tom responds warmly with, “Oh, hey, son, how are you doing today?”

Reflecting on their journey, Donnie shared, “We’ve become like a real family. It’s going to be hard not being with them anymore, but I’m confident we’ll stay connected even after the show ends.” When he first joined the series in 2010, Donnie admitted to feeling nervous about stepping into the role of Tom’s on-screen son.

“I was hired on the show and Tom was excited because he was a fan of Band of Brothers. He thought, ‘Oh, this guy’s good,'” Donnie recalled. “But then I walked in and saw he was 6’4″ while I’m about 5’11”. I thought, ‘How am I supposed to be his son?’ I was worried they might fire me the next day.” However, meeting Henry Reagan actor Len Cariou put Donnie at ease. “He’s shorter than me with a similar hairline,” Donnie said. “So I thought, ‘Alright, I’ve got the right genes. I’m good.'”

On set, Donnie often improvised during the iconic Reagan family dinner scenes, a creative choice Tom has always supported. “A lot of those moments are improvised. While someone else might nudge me to stop, Tom doesn’t,” Donnie explained. “He’ll later say, ‘I love how you keep the dinner scene alive with your improvisations.’ It means a lot that the head of the table trusts me.”

Tom has consistently praised Donnie, even expressing support when Donnie directed an episode of Blue Bloods. “Donnie’s a talented actor and director,” Tom told Entertainment Tonight. “It’s reassuring to work with another actor as a director because they understand our craft.”