Donnie Wahlberg Offered Half His Paycheck to Keep ‘Boston Blue’ Filming in Boston

Donnie Wahlberg has revealed how strongly he wanted his new show Boston Blue to be filmed in the city where its story takes place.

During an interview on SiriusXM’s Radio Andy, Wahlberg explained that he pushed hard to have the series shot in Boston. The show continues the story of his character Danny Reagan from Blue Bloods, and he felt it should stay true to that setting.

He said he was excited when he first heard about the project, even before knowing where it would take place. “When I got offered the job, I’m like, ‘This is a dream come true.’ I thought, I’ll do a spinoff in L.A. or Vegas or Texas, somewhere hot,” he said. “And they were like, ‘How about Boston?’ I was like, ‘Ahhhh.’ They hooked me. And I was like, ‘Alright, let’s do it in Boston.’”

But the plan changed quickly. According to Wahlberg, the production team told him that filming in Boston would cost too much. Instead, they chose to shoot most of the show in Toronto.

Wahlberg said he tried to make it work by offering part of his own salary. “And they were like, ‘But we can’t afford to shoot it in Boston, we’re gonna shoot it in Toronto.’ I was like, ‘No, no.’ So, I said, ‘Listen, I’ll give back 50% of my paycheck if we can go to Boston.’ I did,” he explained.

Even that was not enough to change the decision. “And they said, ‘You can give back 100% and so can the rest of the cast, we cannot film this show in Boston.’ It’s so expensive. For the most part, we shoot in Toronto.”

He also pointed out that filming in Boston can be difficult for other reasons. Crowds and busy streets often slow down production and make it harder to shoot scenes.

The first season of “Boston Blue” is already available on Paramount+, and the show has been renewed for a second season.

This shows how strong the financial side of TV production really is. Even when actors are willing to sacrifice their own pay, it may not be enough to change big decisions. At the same time, filming in the real location could make shows feel more authentic. What do you think? Should productions spend more to stay true to the setting, or is it fine to film somewhere cheaper? Share your thoughts in the comments.