Donnie Wahlberg loves him some Blue Bloods. He’s never been shy about his fandom for the show, nor the impact that it’s had on his life. Danny Reagan will go down as Wahlberg’s defining role, and he is understandably sad to see the show come to an end.
Blue Bloods is perhaps best known for its family dinner scenes, so emotions were always going to be high during the filming of the final dinner. Wahlberg recounted the experience during an interview with Entertainment Weekly. He claimed that he was able to keep it together for the bulk of filming, but it was a gesture by co-star Tom Selleck that led to the emotions spilling out.
Tom Selleck’s poem made the cast emotional
Wahlberg recalls everybody trying to stay professional on the last day, regardless of whether they were a cast or crew member. “I think everyone was really hanging on and, again, trying to stay present and focus on the work,” he explained. “Make sure we did the work well, but also trying not to get lost in the emotion of it all.”
Well, that plan went off the rails after shooting had wrapped, and Tom Selleck decided to speak. The iconic TV actor has been the anchor of the Blue Bloods family, both onscreen and off, so it was only fitting that he be the one to speak. He did not dissapoint. Wahlberg claims that Selleck recited a poem from memory, as a means of commemorating they’d spent together.
Wahlberg considers Selleck a real life father figure
“Tom read a poem — or, he didn’t read it,” Wahlberg told the outlet. “He’d memorized the poem and recited it. He’s known the poem for years.” Sure enough, the poem brought out the waterworks. The actor claimed that there was “crying” and “tissues coming out” as soon as Selleck wrapped up his recitation.
It was especially impactful for Wahlberg, who has come to see Selleck as a real life father figure. The two men have grown close over the last decade and a half, and yet, Wahlberg still maintains a sense of reverence for the TV veteran.
He told Entertainment Weekly that he remembered watching Selleck as a kid on Magnum, PI, and never thought he’d get the chance to act alongside him on another hit show. He assured readers that the experience of working alongside Selleck was more than he could have ever dreamed of.
