Donnie Wahlberg said he gave up a significant portion of his salary to film “Boston Blue” in his hometown, but the economics of television production won out in the end.
Speaking on SiriusXM’s Radio Andy, Wahlberg detailed his efforts to keep the “Boston Blue” spinoff true to its setting. The series, a sequel to his long-running Blue Bloods character Danny Reagan, is set in Boston but mostly filmed in Toronto due to cost considerations.
“When I got offered this job, I thought, ‘This is a dream come true.’ I thought I’d do a spinoff somewhere hot, whether it’s LA or Las Vegas or Texas,” Wahlberg said during an interview. “And they asked, ‘What about Boston?'” I was like, “Oh, yeah.” They captivated me. So I thought, “Okay, let’s do it in Boston.” ”
However, he said that producers soon made it clear that filming there was not economically viable. “And they said, ‘But we can’t afford to shoot in Boston, so we’re going to shoot in Toronto.'” I was like, “No, no.” So I said, “Listen, if you can go to Boston, I’ll give you 50% of your salary back.” I did that,” Wahlberg continued. “And they said, ‘You can give back 100 percent, and the rest of the cast can give back as well. We can’t shoot this show in Boston.’ It’s very expensive. Most of the time, we shoot in Toronto.”
Wahlberg added that filming in Boston presents logistical challenges beyond cost, noting that filming is frequently interrupted by crowds and tour groups.
“Boston Blue” has already been renewed for a second season. Season 1 is currently streaming on Paramount+.
