Donnie Wahlberg facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Donnie Wahlberg
Wahlberg in 2010
Born	Donald Edmond Wahlberg Jr. (1969-08-17) August 17, 1969 (age 55) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupation	Singer-songwriter actor producer
Years active	1984–present
Spouse(s)	Kim Fey ​ ​ (m. 1999; div. 2008)​ Jenny McCarthy ​ (m. 2014)​
Children	2
Relatives	Mark Wahlberg (brother) Rhea Durham (sister-in-law) Robert Wahlberg (brother) Jim Wahlberg (brother) Paul Wahlberg (brother) Jeff Wahlberg (nephew)
Musical career
Genres	Pop hip hop blue-eyed soul
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Columbia Interscope

Donald Edmond Wahlberg Jr. (born August 17, 1969), known as Donnie Wahlberg, is an American singer, actor, and producer. He is famous for being a founding member of the popular boy band New Kids on the Block.

Outside of music, Donnie has starred in many movies and TV shows. Some of his well-known roles include the Saw films, Zookeeper (2011), Dreamcatcher (2003), and The Sixth Sense (1999). He also played Carwood Lipton in the World War II miniseries Band of Brothers.

From 2010 to 2024, he starred as Danny Reagan in the drama series Blue Bloods. He has also produced and starred in reality TV shows like Wahlburgers, which earned him nominations for the Primetime Emmy Awards. He is the older brother of actor Mark Wahlberg and chef Paul Wahlberg.

Early life

Donnie Wahlberg was born in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston. He is one of nine children. His older siblings include Arthur, Jim, Paul, Robert, Tracey, Michelle, and Debbie. His younger brother is Mark.

His mother, Alma Elaine, was a bank clerk and nurse's aide. His father, Donald Edmond Wahlberg Sr., was a delivery driver. His family has roots from Sweden, Ireland, England, and French-Canada.

Career

New Kids on the Block

Wahlberg in 1990

Donnie Wahlberg is best known as an original member of the boy band New Kids on the Block (NKOTB). A boy band is a group of young male singers, usually performing pop music.

The band was created by Maurice Starr and Mary Alford. They were looking for a group similar to New Edition. Donnie, at age 15, became the first member after they heard his rapping skills. His brother Mark was briefly in the group too. With the additions of Jonathan and Jordan Knight, Danny Wood, and Joey McIntyre, they became New Kids on the Block.

The band became very popular but broke up in 1994. In 2008, Donnie confirmed that NKOTB would reunite. Their first album after reuniting, The Block, was released in September 2008. It became a top album in America. The group still tours, and Donnie remains a member.

Film and TV career

Donnie Wahlberg's first movie role was in the 1996 film Bullet. He also appeared as a kidnapper in Ransom in 1996. He gained attention for his role in the 1999 film The Sixth Sense. In this movie, he played a patient of Bruce Willis' character.

In 2001, Donnie co-starred as Second Lieutenant Carwood Lipton in the TV miniseries Band of Brothers. He also starred in the 2002–2003 NBC drama series Boomtown. He played Joel Stevens, a police detective in Los Angeles.

In 2003, Wahlberg starred in Dreamcatcher. He played Duddits, a character with special abilities. In 2005, he played Detective Eric Matthews in Saw II. He continued this role in Saw III (2006) and Saw IV (2007).

In 2006, Donnie played Lieutenant Commander Burton in the movie Annapolis. He also had the lead role in the TV drama Runaway. In 2007, he starred in the TV film Kings of South Beach and the TV series The Kill Point.

In 2008, Wahlberg appeared in Righteous Kill and What Doesn't Kill You.

Donnie Wahlberg stars as 1st Grade Detective Danny Reagan on CBS's Blue Bloods. This is a police drama set in New York City. He has said he sees himself as a "character actor" rather than a "movie star" like his brother.

He hosted an internet radio show called "DDUB's R&B Back Rub". He also appeared in the 2011 comedy Zookeeper. Wahlberg is the current host of HLN's "Very Scary People".

In 2021, Wahlberg was on The Masked Singer as the rooster "Cluedle-Doo". He gave clues to the viewers. He was unmasked in the semi-finals.

In 2022, he sold two TV police drama projects as an executive producer to CBS Studios. These projects are called Harbor Blue and Samaritan.

Personal life

Donnie Wahlberg married Kimberly Fey in 1999. They have two sons together. They divorced in 2008. In 2013, he started dating actress Jenny McCarthy. They got engaged in 2014 and married on August 31, 2014.

Wahlberg is a big fan of the Boston Celtics basketball team. He has narrated documentaries about the team, including The Association: Boston Celtics and Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies. He also co-owns a chain of restaurants called Wahlburgers with his brothers Paul and Mark.

Discography

Wahlberg performing in 2011

with New Kids on the Block

• New Kids on the Block (1986)
• Hangin' Tough (1988)
• Step by Step (1990)
• Face the Music (1994)
• The Block (2008)
• 10 (2013)

Solo

• "The Right Combination" – duet with Seiko Matsuda (1990)

Filmography

Film

Television

Cast of TV series Blue Bloods at the 2010 Summer Session of the Television Critics Association

Music videos

Video games

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: Donnie Wahlberg para niños