Donnie Wahlberg's interview with Zap2It

Donnie was interviewed by Zap2It.com about directing tonight's episode of Blue Bloods.  Here is the article: 

'Blue Bloods' Donnie Wahlberg debuts as director: 'I guess I did it the right way'

"It's no pressure, coming after our two highest-rated episodes since the pilot. No pressure for me at all."

So says Donnie Wahlberg, wryly, about his directing debut on CBS' "Blue Bloods" Friday (Jan. 31). He also remains very evident as an actor as his weekly character, NYPD Detective Danny Reagan, and partner Maria Baez (Marisa Ramirez) probe the murder of a reality-show-star drag queen. Meanwhile, Danny's prosecutor sister Erin (Bridget Moynahan) is kidnapped by a woman who wants a new investigation of her son's drug-related murder case.

"It was a challenge, but it was a lot of fun," Wahlberg tells Zap2it of working both sides of the camera. "I've kind of known that I would eventually direct at some point ... but I guess I've just watched so many directors go through so many challenges, I've always thought, at the end of the day, 'Maybe I'm more of a producer than a director.'

"It's something I was always angling toward, regardless, and I just asked if I could do an episode this year. Once they said, 'Yes,' I was in. I was on the schedule and locked in, and I just started wrapping my head around doing it. And it was just an awesome experience."

 

It also satisfied Wahlberg's taste for trying something else, though he allows, "I do a lot of different things with my time. I'm still in my band (New Kids on the Block) and we tour every summer and still make albums, I produce a few other TV shows, and I still have different interests and businesses.

"Sometimes when I'm on the set, working a 14-hour day as an actor," Wahlberg adds, "I get a little antsy and fidgety. Just playing the part isn't always enough, because quite frankly, I'm sitting around more than I'm on camera.

 

"What I didn't know is that those days would fly by as both a director and an actor. I didn't feel bored for one second; I felt completely invigorated, and I think this may be another calling for me on some level. Really trusting the cast and the team around me is what made me able to come through this episode as well as I did."

 

Indeed, Wahlberg is glad he waited until the fourth season of "Blue Bloods" to occupy the director's chair. "It was a big help because I've established great relationships," he reasons, "but with that said, it could have been a detriment. When you know somebody a certain way, and you're suddenly asking them for another take, it can be like, 'Wait a minute. You're my peer, you're not my director.'"

 

Still, Wahlberg reports, "It worked out. We all have a great rapport, and with nearly four seasons under our belts, I know how to speak to my castmates. I wasn't sure exactly what I would say between takes, but I guess I did it the right way because everyone was very responsive and things seemed to make sense. And I feel like I got really awesome performances."

 

Wahlberg reserves particular praise for Moynahan, deeming her "just amazing in the episode, ready and willing to try anything. Sometimes, it took some talking and explaining. I was sort of wearing that hat where guest TV directors come in and try to get the cast members, who play these parts every day, to see things their way. Now I was in the position of having to tell Bridget, 'I know you do it that way, but I'd like you to consider the possibility of doing it this way.'

 

"She tried it, and it really worked, and she was grateful for a lot of the suggestions. And I was grateful for her gift. To watch her go through a three-page scene crying her eyes out with her life in jeopardy [as Erin], and to still remember the notes I gave her in the middle of the scene, was overwhelming to see. I was really humbled by her work."

 

One of Wahlberg's aims was to give each character what he terms an "arc," one outcome being what he considers "one of the best episodes for Danny and Baez. It's subtle. A lot of the time, we'll trade off lines in the interrogation room, but the emotional track is going to go with Danny. Every actor is looking for an arc, and I wanted to find that for Marisa, so I worked really hard on fleshing out her point of view. It's a huge breakthrough for our partnership, both on screen and off."

 

Directing his television "father," Tom Selleck, also was major for Wahlberg. "We walked into the first scene together, in the office (of Selleck's alter ego, Police Commissioner Frank Reagan), and he said, 'I kind of like sitting at my desk, but I don't want to tell you how to direct the scene.' And I said, 'Tom, I don't come into this office as Donnie or Danny. This is your world. I want you to help me direct the scene. Tell me what you think you'd do, and let's go from there.' And that's what we did.

 

"Anybody can say anything they want about Tom Selleck, but the guy knows his stuff," notes Wahlberg. "If I didn't trust him, I'd be a fool. He's smart, he's experienced, he knows how to tell a story, he knows what the audience is thinking ... he's a master of television, and I count on him every day. We work in completely opposite ways, but we have the same goal."

 

Some actors prefer having less as performers while directing, particularly for the first time, but Wahlberg didn't shy away from that. "I tried to treat the episode as if I was still an actor," he explains, "and I was at my best when I stayed in my 'actor head.' When I'm on the 'Blue Bloods' set, I'm constantly giving notes and presenting ideas to the other actors, and the directors really trust me with my ideas ... so I thought it was important to stay in that head space."

 

Such was the case with a trademark of the show, the weekly family-dinner scene. "I never left the table," Wahlberg says. "I sat with the cast the whole time, as I would do on any episode. I'd walk behind a camera every once in a while and make sure I liked the angle on somebody, but I didn't stand off to the side and do a read-through or block the scene.

"I acted as one of the cast. They know what to do with that scene; I don't have to tell them what to do. I'm an actor first, and I treated my directing as such."

 

With his first "Blue Bloods" directing gig now done, Wahlberg is looking toward the next one. "We didn't get a lot of Danny and Linda this time," he says of working with on-screen "wife"Amy Carlson, "but I'm certainly going to angle for that next time. And it would be fun to go on a real journey with Will Estes (who plays Danny's fellow-cop brother Jamie) in an episode."

Lately, Wahlberg also has been familiar with the other side of the camera as an executive producer of two reality shows: A&E's current Wednesday series "Wahlburgers" -- on which his girlfriend, Jenny McCarthy, has appeared -- and TNT's police-profiling "Boston's Finest." Having starred in such other drama series as "Boomtown" and "Runaway," he knows he has a good thing with "Blue Bloods," typically the top-rated broadcast-network show on Fridays.

"We haven't had to try every twist and turn and gimmick to find the audience," he reflects. "The audience has found us, and we're really proud of the show and really grateful. And we feel like we're just hitting our stride."

Preview of this week's Blue Bloods (the episode Donnie directed)

The episode of Blue Bloods that Donnie directed airs this Friday. The title is "Manhattan Queens" and here is a preview clip and synopsis of the episode:

Danny and Baez investigate the murder of Tiffany Lamp, a popular drag queen from a reality television show who was found murdered in a local park. Meanwhile, Erin reexamines a drug case scheduled for trial after she is abducted by the accused man's mother.



Check out some photos of Donnie directing this episode here.

Joey McIntyre at the 17th Annual Pre-GRAMMY Party

Joey and A. J. McLean attended the Friends 'N' Family 17th Annual Pre-GRAMMY Party at Park Plaza Hotel on Friday night in Los Angeles, California. Click here for some photos!

Preview of this week's Wahlburgers episode

Here is a preview clip of this week's episode of "Wahlburgers"

Donnie Wahlberg to attend Boston Police Foundation Gala

Donnie will be attending the Boston Police Foundation's 1st Annual Gala on March 22. 

Watch Wahlburgers episode 1

A&E posted the complete first episode of Wahlburgers on their website.

Click here to watch!

TV Guide Magazine's interview with Donnie Wahlberg

TV Guide Magazine interviewed Donnie about Wahlburgers recently.  Here is the article:

Family Business: Donnie Wahlberg Previews A&E's The Wahlburgers

Long before Marky Mark, NKOTB, Blue Bloods and Oscar nominations, the Wahlberg brothers, and all nine siblings, were enjoying family dinners in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood. And they still are — with the cameras rolling on A&E's The Wahlburgers (premiering Wed. Jan 22, 10:30/9:30c), which serves up a candid look into the family burger restaurant, lead by older brother, chef Paul. Donnie gives us the dish.

TV Guide Magazine: You and your brother have been in the spotlight since your teenage years. Why do a reality show?
Donnie Wahlberg: Our restaurant is the right framework for a reality show. It's not about our life. It's about a slice of our life. It's fun for the world to get a chance to see where our perceived talent came from — it's all from our mother.

TV Guide Magazine: The series really shows your hometown roots. You and Mark are worldwide celebrities, but seem to be regular guys.
Wahlberg: We have a lot of fun as a family. My brother Mark makes me laugh more than anyone on the planet, and it's always been that way, since we were little kids.

TV Guide Magazine: What keeps you so grounded?
Wahlberg: Our parents never subscribed to the fame and the celebrity. It makes it much easier to stay true, honest and down-to-earth. If I come over to [my mom's] house and leave a dish out, she's going to give me a hard time.

TV Guide Magazine: On the show, you and your brothers compete to be mom's favorite child. Will that ever end?
Wahlberg: It's already ended, as far as I'm concerned. I was her favorite the day I was born. When she looked into my eyes, it was a done deal.

TV Guide Magazine: Other than your mom, Alma, the breakout star is your brother Paul, who's the head chef at Wahlburgers. Mark says that he's the most talented in the family. What does he mean by that?
Wahlberg: All of our brothers have a lot of talent. Paul is the most talented cook in the family. Paul is the most generous Wahlberg. The undercurrent in every episode is that Paul is fighting to continue to put love into everything that he does as a chef.

TV Guide Magazine: What's your function in the business?
Wahlberg: There are three people in this equation — Paul who would only like to have one Wahlburgers in Hingham, Mass.; Mark who would like to open one on Jupiter next week; and me. I translate the Hollywood blockbuster language into the simple down home cooking speak. I'm the perfect bridge between the two of them.

TV Guide Magazine: What exactly is Mark's role with the restaurant?
Wahlberg: Mark's role with the restaurant is probably worldwide domination.

TV Guide Magazine: So will Wahlburgers become a big franchise?
Wahlberg: Maybe just New York and L.A. But not Jupiter.

TV Guide Magazine: We meet your childhood friends, including the original Johnny "Drama," and your girlfriend, Jenny McCarthy, who has a burger named after her!
Wahlberg: Yeah! She's getting a lot of stamps of approval, as she should. She's a wonderful lady. She's awesome.

TV Guide Magazine: You also have a burger named after you, the Double D. What's your perfect burger?
Wahlberg: My perfect burger is definitely available at Wahlburgers — I think it's yet to be invented though. Who am I kidding? It's a Donnie burger smushed up with a Jenny burger!

TV Guide article about Wahlburgers

TV Guide posted an article about what to expect with the Wahlburgers TV show (including a cameo from Joey McIntyre in an upcoming episode!):

Celebrity Cameos! The Real Johnny Drama! 7 Reasons to Take a Bite out of A&E's Wahlburgers

He's been nominated for two Academy Awards. He's had a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. His latest movie opened to $37 million earlier this month. So why would Mark Wahlberg want to star in a reality show?

"I thought kind of the same thing," executive producer Rasha Drachkovitch tells TVGuide.com. "It definitely helps that the subject matter is his family and the family business."

That family business, the Hingham, Mass., restaurant Wahlburgers, is the focus of the new A&E reality show of the same name. Premiering Wednesday at 10:30/9:30c, the docu-series follows Wahlberg, along with his two brothers, singer and Blue Bloods star Donnie and chef Paul Wahlberg, in their adventures running a restaurant together.

After first reading about the fast-casual burger spot two years ago, Drachkovitch reached out to Mark about the reality show idea. He soon traveled to Hingham to meet both the Wahlburgers restaurant family, as well as Mark's own family. "They're very Boston, so very big-hearted. I was basically being hugged and smooched for the first couple days," he recalls. "This is a great American story because when you hear about their upbringing on the tough streets of Dorchester, nine kids under one roof trying to get by and then where they are today with television, music, films, and now the restaurant business, it had all the elements to be an entertaining show."

So what can viewers expect? Drachkovitch shared seven enticing reasons to tune in:

1. The show digs deep: Drachkovitch says viewers will be surprised to see just how candid and honest the Wahlbergs, whom he dubbed "Boston's first family," are on camera. "It's a rare glimpse behind the curtain where you get to see such a visible family and you get to see how they discuss things. We get to tackle sibling rivalries, we get to tackle competition," he says. "It kind of morphed from a celeb-reality business show to a show about this amazing American family. They may be huge stars, but at the end of the day, they're dealing with the same kind of issues about family that most of us deal with as well."

2. Mark and Donnie will be a big presence: Despite their busy schedules — Mark worked on five movies during the course of shooting, and Donnie split his time between Blue Bloods and the New Kids on the Block reunion tour — they will both appear in every episode of Wahlburgers. I was kind of hoping maybe they could call in or Skype," Drachkovitch says. "It was pretty much, 'Whatever you guys need to film, let us know.'"

3. Get ready to meet "the most-talented Wahlberg": At least that's what Mark calls his older brother Paul, a classically trained chef who runs Wahlburgers' day-to-day operations. A stranger to the screen, Paul was initially hesitant about appearing on docu-series because "he didn't want to do the TV thing," according to Drachkovitch. "He got comfortable and then all of a sudden that Wahlberg star gene kicked in and he came up with the one-liners." Drachkovitch says. "He has a hard nose-to-the-grindstone work ethic. ... I think that's the part that will resonate for people."

4. Tensions will flare: "What's so great about their relationship is [Paul] is a worry wart. He is a perfectionist," Drachkovitch says. "He wants to make one great burger at a time and please the customer." However, that philosophy will clash early and often with Mark and Donnie, who want to open Wahlburgers in every airport and sporting arena in America, as well as expand to Europe and Asia. "That intersection of quantity and expansion, and quality was a great starting point for almost every episode," he says.

5. Celebrity cameos: In the second episode, the cameras film the first meeting between Donnie's girlfriend, Jenny McCarthy, and his mom, Alma. Fellow New Kid Joey McIntyre will also show up on an episode when the brothers try to craft a jingle for the restaurant. Although Wahlburgers has not yet been renewed, Drachkovitch says there's already been talk of a big cameo. "We played around with the idea of bringing [movie bear] Ted into one of the scenes so that Ted gets to drive Paul crazy," he says.

6. Meet the real Johnny Drama: Wahlburgers is also populated by some of their colorful friends, such as Johnny Alves, aka the inspiration for the Entourage character). In one episode, the show will follow Alves out to Hollywood and on an audition for the upcoming remake The Gambler, starring Mark. "He's always trying to make it in Hollywood, but he's got a great heart. He's just a hilarious character," Drachkovitch says. There's also Mark's childhood friend, Nacho, an extreme eater. "He drives Paul crazy. Paul basically bans him from the restaurant because he doesn't want a circus environment, but Nacho is kind of there as comic relief of the show," Drachkovitch says.

7. But the show's real scene-stealer is...: As predicted by Mark, Drachkovitch says matriarch Alma Wahlberg will steal the spotlight. "Mark says, 'You know, I have this huge business and I'm thinking global, but when my mom talks, I become that 10-year-old sitting at the dinner table. What she says goes.' It's the same for Donnie. They adore her," Drachkovitch says. "The show has a lot of heart, and you'll see it in Alma."

Wahlburgers premieres Wednesday at 10:30/9:30c on A&E. Will you tune in?

Listen to Donnie Wahlberg on Kiss 108

Donnie was on Kiss 108 to talk about Wahlburgers and more...Check it out below: 

Update: Interview has been deleted, does anyone have it saved?

Watch Donnie Wahlberg on The View

Donnie's interview from today's episode of "The View" is now online.

Update: Video has been deleted, does anyone have it saved?

Watch Entertainment Tonight's report about Wahlburgers

Entertainment Tonight did a short segment about Wahlburgers - Check it out in the video clip below (Starts at 14:47)


Update: Video has been deleted, does anyone have it saved?

Reviews and articles about "Wahlburgers"

Here are some links to some reviews and articles about "Wahlburgers"

Boston Globe: Wahlbergs serve up reality TV

Boston Globe: Bond of brothers: Wahlbergs on small screen

New York Post: Stars Mark, Donnie can't flip 'Wahlburgers'

Video Clip: The story behind Wahlburgers

Here is a short video clip with Donnie, Paul and Mark about how they decided to name the restaurant "Wahlburgers":

Post by Wahlburgers on A&E.

Donnie Wahlberg on The View next Tuesday

Donnie will be making an appearance on The View on Tuesday! The show airs at 11AM (EST) on ABC.

Get tickets to see Joey McIntyre tape "The McCarthys"

The pilot of "The McCarthys" with Joey McIntyre scheduled to tape in front of a live studio audience at Sony Studios on January 29!

Watch preview clips from Wahlburgers

Here are preview clips of the first episode of "Wahlburgers"!

NKOTB News for January 11

According to Entertainment Weekly, Joey will be making a special appearance on the Hulu show "Hotwives of Orlando" soon.

Here's a photo of Donnie directing an episode of Blue Bloods.

Joey recently took his son Griffin to a Boston Bruins game. Here is a photo he shared:

Here is another clip of Donnie at New Year's Rockin Eve:


People.com posted an article called "What If Every Boy Band Member Was an Ice Cream Flavor?" and they included each of the guys from the New Kids on the Block.

Jordan Knight: Cherry Garcia. Beloved by people in their 30s. King of a certain genre, even if you don't see it around as much anymore. Seems basically normal, but has an undercurrent of weirdness that you can't quite place.

Donnie Wahlberg: Cake Batter. Probably not great for you, but way too charming to resist for long.

Jonathan Knight: Bubblegum. Big in the '80s. Enjoyed by Tiffany.

Joey McIntyre: Blueberry Waffle Cone. Came on the scene as a novelty, but became a classic that stands the test of time.

Danny Wood: Coffee. Not the sweetest, but it's strong and gets the job done.

Donnie Wahlberg interview with Watch 312

Donnie and Jenny were interviewed by Watch 312 at a charity event in Chicago recently. Check out the video below (their interview is from about the 1 minute mark to the 5 minute mark:

Update: Video has been deleted, does anyone have it saved?

Donnie Wahlberg on "A Few Good Minutes"

Here is another clip from the "A Few Good Minutes" interview in which Donnie talks about Boston's mayor Tom Menino and how "Boston's Finest" got started.

Update: Video has been deleted, does anyone have it saved?

Donnie Wahlberg's interview with Metro UK

Metro UK interviewed Donnie recently - here is the article: 

The 44-year-old singer and actor found fame in the late 1980s in boy band New Kids On The Block. He is now recording with the reformed NKOTB.

How different is the music scene now to when you started out in the 1980s? In the music world there seem to be fewer opportunities for establishing yourself as a recording artist – you have a better chance of becoming famous or maintaining a pop career now if you are on a television show like American Idol or The X Factor. Radio stations play so little music and MTV barely plays any music videos, so the window for artists to fit into has just become so much smaller. You can be a lot more famous now in the music business but to really make a living and have a career is tricky.

How does performing live compare with 20 years ago – are you still able to fling yourself around stadiums with the same amount of energy? When I was younger and performing, everything was such an adrenalin rush. I would run on stage and be hyperventilating in the middle of the first song, singing too loud and not pacing myself at all. At 20 I could do that. I would still have enough energy to make it through the rest of the show but, at 43, I have to take a different approach. I’m like a veteran in a sport now. But in some ways, pacing myself and stretching for an hour before every show and slowing it all down, I’ve learnt to be a better performer. These days, I really take my time and treat a concert more like a movie.

How have your fans changed – have they become less crazed than when they came to see you as teenagers? They’re sometimes just as crazy and they scream as loud now as they did when they were teenagers, which is amazing. I took my son and his friends to see Justin Bieber and there was a lot of screaming. The other parents were like: ‘This is so loud.’ I said: ‘That’s nothing.’

You’re also an established actor these days, with a regular role on Blue Bloods. Do you think television has changed a lot in recent years too? Television has changed a lot but I think it’s the opposite situation to music – there are so many cable networks producing shows, and so many opportunities for actors to work in great-quality stuff. When I first got into acting, a lot of the actors I was competing with, my peers, said they didn’t want to do TV. I always wanted to do TV, though, because I was looking for the opposite of the rock-star lifestyle, which was something consistent – checking in every day and sort of punching a clock seemed fascinating to me.

You’re playing a police officer in Blue Bloods but didn’t you have a rather misspent youth, like some of your brothers and band members? Most of my interaction with the police when I was young was when they were arresting my family members. Fortunately, I was rarely in their cars myself. I was the good son, I guess – I didn’t like being in trouble. I still knew all the cops from my area because they had arrested all my brothers, so when I walked down the street they would watch me to see if I had a knife and check what I was up to. Luckily, I was usually going to baseball or something else productive. As for playing a cop, I think now that I am in my forties I’m playing the role I was born to play and I can finally be convincing as a policeman or detective.

Your character, Danny, has become progressively smarter as the show has gone on – has he had some styling advice? Well, my suits have become progressively tighter over the seasons, as the network has encouraged me to wear nicer, less sloppy suits. Now they are really, really tight. And I have a rather big bum to begin with – it’s true – so my trousers are really tight now. One night on set I was making a Vine video clip and I said my trousers were so tight you could break a board over my ass. It just so happened that one of the set decorators had a board standing by and they broke it over my ass. They are public Vines – you can watch them.

You have a restaurant, Wahlburger, in Massachusetts with your brothers – is there anything your family can’t do? I’m not a good cook. I can cook a bowl of cereal but my brother Paul, and the rest of my brothers, are really talented. When we were kids, other people would always call us all Wahlburger, so we figured we’d get the last laugh and open a burger joint and call it that. Truthfully, Paul has a hugely successful restaurant in Massachusetts and he came to Mark and me with the idea of opening a burger place. He lives in a town where there is no burger joint, only a McDonald’s, and he wanted to open one to serve that town and to make a quality product. Once we put the name on it, though, it just took on a life of its own.

Blue Bloods is on Thursdays at 9pm on Sky Atlantic.

Watch Donnie Wahlberg at New Year's Rockin' Eve

Donnie and Jenny McCarthy were at New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest in Times Square last night!

Here is a video clip:

 

Check out some more photos here!

Watch new Wahlburgers promo clip

Here is a new promo clip for Wahlburgers featuring Donnie, Paul and Mark Wahlberg:

Post by Wahlburgers on A&E.