Donnie Wahlberg Wants to See Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and His Brother Mark on Boston Blue (Extended)

0:01 -Our next guest stars in

0:02 and executive produces the series "Boston Blue,"

0:04 which airs every Friday at 10:00 p.m.

0:07 on CBS and streams on Paramount+.

0:09 Please welcome Donnie Wahlberg!

0:12 Cheers and applause][ New Kids on the Block's "Right Stuff" plays]♪♪♪♪

0:31 Donnie Wahlberg!

0:32 That's what I'm talkin' about!

0:34 Thank you for doing that.

0:35 Thank you.

0:37 That's Donnie Wahlberg right there.

0:38 Come on.

0:39 Cheers and applause] That's how you do it.

0:41 That is how you do it.

0:43 Thank you, thank you, thank you!

0:46 Oh, my God.

0:48 It is great to see you.

0:48 Thank you for doing that.

0:49 -The sixth New Kid.

0:51 Laughing] Yeah.

0:52 -Yeah, right.

0:52 -It's done.

0:53 -Thank you for doing the dance.

0:55 -Thank you.

0:55 Thank your audience, thank you, Roots.

0:57 When you hear the theme, do you—[ Cheers and applause]

1:00 Is it like when they put up the Bat Signal,

1:02 your body just goes into the dance?

1:04 You got to do it?

1:04 -You know, I gotta be honest.

1:05 As I get older, I enjoy it more.

1:09 -Is that right?

1:10 -When I was younger,

1:11 like, I'd go to a Celtics game or something,

1:13 and they'd start playing, and I'd be like,

1:15 "I just want to watch the game."

1:17 And, like, someone would scream from this side of the balcony,

1:19 and someone would call me a loser.

1:21 "Donnie, you're a loser!", you know, from this side.

1:23 -That's great.

1:24 -And now, as I get older,

1:25 I really embrace it.

1:25 I really love it.

1:26 -Yeah.

1:26 Come on.

1:27 -It's really wonderful.

1:28 It's so wonderful.

1:28 -You're the best.

1:29 -Yeah.

1:29 -You've done it, man.

1:31 -Thank you.

1:32 -We first met— I don't know if you remember this.

1:34 We did a series,

1:35 a limited series on HBO, called "Band of Brothers."

1:37 -Oh, yeah.

1:38 That little limited series, yeah.

1:39 -Little— -Yeah.

1:40 -That was one that was one of the best things

1:42 that I will ever do.

1:43 -It was incredible.

1:44 If memory serves me correct, you came in for, like, a day

1:47 and had one line.

1:49 -Well...

1:49 -But— but I will say, everybody that had, like,

1:52 a small part in that is a massive star now.

1:55 Like, Michael Fassbender.

1:56 He was in the whole thing,

1:58 but he never really spoke.

1:59 -Yeah.

1:59 -Jimmy Fallon.

2:01 Um, who else?

2:02 Stephen Graham, James McAvoy, Tom Hardy...

2:06 -Damian Lewis.

2:07 -Well, Damian was "the guy,"

2:09 but all them other guys just popped up for a minute.

2:11 -I had one line.

2:11 I remember you were all

2:12 kind of mad at me a little bit 'cause I was— I went in,

2:14 I'm like, "This is the most fun thing ever,"

2:16 and you were like, "Yeah,

2:17 we've been sleeping in tents for like three months."

2:19 -Yeah.

2:19 It was— it was rough.

2:20 Boot camp was rough.

2:21 All of that was rough.

2:21 But we weren't mad at you.

2:22 We were honest.

2:23 -Dale Dye.

2:23 Dale Dye.

2:24 -Dale Dye.

2:24 -Captain— -Captain Dale Dye.

2:26 -This guy was— he was—

2:28 He was there to teach us, you know,

2:30 how to be soldiers and, like, how we'd really act, and...

2:32 -Yeah, he had just done "Saving Private Ryan,"

2:34 among many other movies, and he beat us up.

2:37 -Oh, he was the real deal.

2:38 -He was like 80.

2:39 -Yeah.

2:40 And I'm like...

2:41 -Sorry, Dale.

2:42 He was like 80 then, and he'd get up

2:43 at like 5:00 in the morning, make us run 6 miles.

2:46 He'd do it with us.

2:46 He'd be up all—

2:47 We'd have to do, like, patrols at night

2:48 and just walk around in the dark.

2:50 -I would do push-ups.

2:50 He would tell me to do push-ups.

2:52 -Everything.

2:52 -He goes, "Give me 20."

2:53 I go, "I can't give you five.

2:54 I mean, I'm a--"[ Laughter] "I'm a comedian.

2:56 I'm terrible." -Yeah.

2:57 He was intense.

2:58 -It was one of the greatest things I've ever done.

3:00 -It was one of the greatest things I've ever done, too.

3:02 -You crushed it.

3:02 -To be associated with that

3:03 and to represent those men...

3:05 -Oh, the best.

3:06 Thank you.

3:07 Thank you for...

3:08 Cheers and applause] Your debut album turned 40 years old this month.

3:14 -Wow.

3:15 Cheers and applause] Do you ever think...

3:20 Did you ever think this kid would become such a big deal?

3:25 Look at this.

3:26 -Not with that sweater.

3:27 -Yeah.

3:27 No, he's so cool.

3:29 -No, it's see-through.

3:29 You can see my chest, and I'm like 14.

3:31 It's just weird.

3:32 But it was, uh...

3:34 -Here we are 40 years later, and it's bigger than ever.

3:37 -I believed the band would be successful,

3:38 if for no other reason,

3:40 Maurice Starr, who discovered us,

3:42 discovered New Edition, and they went on to huge success.

3:44 And he just kept saying, "You're gonna be huge.

3:46 You're gonna be huge," and we're like, "All right."

3:48 -Yeah, your little kids, like, "What does that mean?

3:50 This is so exciting.

3:51 We're in a hotel room."

3:51 -Yeah.

3:52 And, uh— and, yes, it's—

3:54 I'm blown away every day that we're still doing it,

3:56 that fans still show up, that I'm sitting here—

3:59 Like, none of this, uh...

4:01 Cheers and applause] It never gets old to me.

4:03 I still kind of pinch myself.

4:05 I know, from those days, we grew up with nothing.

4:07 You know, we had nothing.

4:08 All of us, nobody in the group.

4:10 We all came from very humble beginnings,

4:12 and to have succeeded at all was a miracle.

4:16 But to be here, it's a blessing that beyond...

4:18 -You have a Las Vegas residency.

4:19 I mean, you were just—

4:20 -Yeah.

4:20 -Here you are.

4:20 I mean...

4:21 Cheers and applause] Here you are with Elvis,

4:23 with Vegas Elvis.

4:24 A fantastic Elvis right there.

4:26 Uh, what's that like, out in Vegas?

4:28 -Vegas is incredible.

4:30 Our fans are coming from all around the world.

4:32 The show is spectacular.

4:33 -I hear that it's great.

4:35 -Yeah, it's really, really good.

4:36 And we're just— we're blessed.

4:38 We're gonna update it now

4:39 'cause we've been there for a year doing it.

4:41 We're going to add some new stuff.

4:42 I know there's some Blockheads in the audience.

4:44 I saw them during the other segment.

4:46 We're gonna— -Shout-out to the Blockheads.

4:48 -We're gonna spice it up a little.

4:49 -Yeah, we love you!

4:50 Cheers and applause] -Yeah, we're gonna add some new stuff to them

4:53 and have a lot of fun because,

4:54 you know, it means so much that they support us.

4:56 -Yeah.

4:56 -To this day.

4:58 And their kids come now and their husbands come,

4:59 and it's just— it's a— it's a thing.

5:01 -Can I just say, you look great in a turtleneck.

5:03 -Thank you.

5:04 Laughter] -You really— No, you rock a turtleneck.

5:06 -Thank you.

5:07 -And that's one of your moves.

5:08 You always rock a turtleneck.

5:10 And you look great in it.

5:11 -Much to my son's chagrin.

5:14 He's like, "Donald." He calls me "Donald."

5:16 -That's so funny.

5:18 -"Why are you wearing a turtleneck?"

5:19 And then he'll be like, "And it's August."[ Laughter]

5:22 -"And you're wearing a bathing suit."

5:24 Yeah.

5:24 Why?

5:25 Yeah.

5:25 But I think you're right.

5:26 I have a kindergarten photo of you.

5:28 -Always loved 'em.

5:29 Aww, yeah.

5:29 -Come on.

5:30 -Come on.

5:31 -You're rocking a Winnie the Pooh turtleneck

5:32 right there.

5:33 Come on.

5:33 -I love turtlenecks.

5:35 -You rock it.

5:35 You know how to do it, bud.

5:36 -There was a "Verzuz" a couple of weeks ago

5:38 with Tyrese and Tank, and Tyrese—-[ Laughs] -Tyrese wore a turtleneck,

5:44 and Tank improvised this song, and it was incredible.

5:46 And then my friend made a video of me

5:48 and all my turtlenecks and put it on Instagram.

5:50 -I gotta check this out.

5:51 -I love turtlenecks!

5:52 People— -Come on.

5:53 -They always give me the business.

5:55 Lookit— come on.

5:55 -No, you look good.

5:56 Come on, bud.

5:57 Cheers and applause] -Come on.

5:59 Laughs] -Love Turtlenecks.

6:01 -Let's talk about your new show.

6:03 Congratulations on this, "Boston Blue."

6:05 -Thank you.

6:05 -It's fantastic.

6:06 It's a spin-off of "Blue Bloods."

6:08 And this time your character moves to Boston,

6:10 and you're famously from Boston.

6:11 I will say this, by the way,

6:13 as I went to say hi to you

6:14 before the show, in your dressing room,

6:15 you had— you were drinking a Dunkin'.

6:17 -Yeah.

6:17 -I go, "That is so..."

6:18 -And we had donuts, too.

6:19 We had actually Dunkin' Donuts.

6:20 -It's not fake.

6:21 He's really— he's the most realest person I know.

6:24 And I was like, I love it.

6:25 But on the show you play—

6:26 your character Danny's from Brooklyn.

6:28 -Yes.

6:28 So I'm a Bostonian

6:30 playing a New Yorker moving to Boston.

6:33 -If you don't win the Emmy,

6:34 then I don't know what we're doing wrong, buddy.

6:36 -I'll settle for a Blockbuster Video Award

6:38 at this point.

6:39 Laughter] But, I mean, how do you— do you do you slip

6:41 into the Boston accent by mistake?

6:43 -A little bit.

6:44 It happens now, more so than before,

6:46 because I was surrounded by New Yorkers

6:48 when I was playing Danny Reagan in New York.

6:50 So I was constantly on my toes,

6:52 and they'd laugh at me if Boston ever slipped out.

6:53 And they would torment me, by the way,

6:55 if, like, the Celtics lost to the Knicks

6:57 or the Patriots lost to the Giants.

6:58 -That's what we do to each other.

6:59 -I know it's brutal.

7:00 But I learned.

7:01 So now I do that to all the Boston characters

7:02 in the show as a New Yorker.

7:04 But when we were filming in Boston,

7:07 it was just— it kept popping out.

7:09 -Yeah.

7:09 -And then we're in the middle

7:10 of a scene, and I know everybody in the city.

7:12 So, literally, I'm doing a scene with you,

7:14 and over here, like the Duck boat's going by,

7:16 and they have a speaker system on it,

7:18 and the lady's like, "And over there,

7:20 you'll see Donnie Wahlberg!"[ Laughter]

7:22 "He's filming his..." And I'm like—

7:24 -"I'm not Donnie, I'm Danny!" -Right, right.

7:26 -They would come right out, and in the middle of takes,

7:29 and it was— And I know everybody.

7:30 So it's like, "Donnie, your uncle's here with his nephews,

7:33 nieces, aunts, nephew," and I'm like,

7:35 "I'll be right there."

7:36 I can't say no to anyone in Boston.

7:38 -No, you cannot.

7:39 It's a— it's a great city.

7:41 But this— the show is a giant hit already.

7:43 It's already been renewed for season two.

7:45 So, congratulations— "Boston Blue."

7:47 Great name, too.

7:48 "Boston Blue" is great.

7:50 I know you have great guest stars on the show.

7:52 Anyone— who would be your dream guest star to have?

7:56 -We had a few of the "Blue Bloods" cast already.

7:58 -Which is the best.

7:59 -So that was great.

8:00 Grandpa Reagan and Erin Reagan and Baez,

8:03 my love interest on the show, and a few others.

8:06 But Jaylen Brown just did an episode,

8:10 which was crazy 'cause, like, we're friends.

8:12 -Oh, you are?

8:13 -Yeah, we're friends, and I'm from Boston.

8:14 And, you know, he said,

8:16 "When can I be on the show?"

8:17 I said, "You're playing in Toronto,"

8:18 'cause we're filming Toronto.

8:20 "Playing in Toronto tomorrow night.

8:21 You play in Toronto tomorrow night.

8:22 If you're off Monday, I'll put you in the show,"

8:24 and he said, "I'm there." -No way.

8:25 But the scene was him ridiculing me

8:27 'cause I'm a Knicks fan, and I'm the biggest Celtics fan.

8:31 -The whole thing is crazy.

8:32 -But I had to do it.

8:33 I had to do it.

8:33 -Of course!

8:34 It's acting.

8:34 It's acting.

8:35 Yeah.

8:35 -In terms of dream...

8:37 I'd like to get some other Boston guys in it.

8:39 -Let's name some names.

8:40 -Uh, let's see, Mark Wahlberg, maybe.

8:42 I don't know.

8:44 He don't want to act with me.

8:45 -Do you know— do you know Mark Wahlberg?

8:47 -Yeah, but he don't want to act with me.

8:48 -Yes, he will.

8:49 -No.

8:49 He don't wanna...

8:50 -He doesn't have to play Mark Wahlberg.

8:51 -Yeah.

8:52 -He could play Marky Mark.

8:54 -Okay.

8:54 Yes!

8:55 Laughter] Like old retired Marky Mark.

8:57 -What would he be doing now?

9:00 -Selling hot dogs at the Celtics game.

9:02 Laughter] -I think he'd be a priest.

9:04 -Maybe.

9:05 -Father Marky Mark.

9:07 -Yeah, I think he'd have to drop the "Marky," though.

9:10 -Father— Yeah.

9:11 Father Mark.

9:12 -Or Ben and Matt.

9:13 -Ben and Matt.

9:15 -Now, you're not a Bostonian, but you do a good accent.

9:17 -I love Boston.

9:17 -You would be a great guest.

9:18 -I would love to do it.

9:19 -You do a good Boston.

9:20 -I'd love to do a Boston in there.

9:23 Anything.

9:23 -No, you would— you would crush it.

9:24 -I would do it.

9:25 I would love to do it.

9:26 -I would say, "Hey, drop the Dunkin's coffee,"

9:28 in my New York accent.

9:29 -Yeah, and I— -"And put your hands up."

9:31 -I would fake do a Boston accent.

9:33 Yeah, yeah.

9:34 "I'm sorry, officah." -There you go.

9:36 -Yeah.

9:36 Yeah.

9:36 -What's going on with "Boston Blue"?

9:38 What's happening in "Boston Blue"?

9:40 -Uh, we just— First things first.

9:41 We have the most incredible cast.

9:43 My partner, Sonequa Martin-Green.

9:44 Incredible.

9:45 Gloria Reuben, Ernie Hudson, Marcus Scribner, Mika Amonsen, Maggie Lawson.

9:50 It's just— It's incredible.

9:51 And we're having such a good time.

9:53 -The writers are great, too.

9:54 -The writers are great.

9:54 And this Friday's episode is unbelievable.

9:57 Uh, we have, um, Jefferson White

9:59 from "Yellowstone" is playing a hostage-taker.

10:03 And it's just— it's an unbelievable episode.

10:05 So we're just really excited.

10:06 It was hard to follow in the footsteps of "Blue Bloods."

10:08 -Of course.

10:08 -And a lot of people thought,

10:10 "Oh, it's a no-brainer." It was like, "Yeah,

10:12 but if it fails, you know, we'll never hear the end of it."

10:14 And so we're very relieved, and we really made it our own show.

10:17 And I love the cast.

10:18 I love the writers.

10:18 We're blessed beyond belief.

10:20 And it's a wonderful job.

10:22 -You got another hit on your hands, bud.

10:23 I want to show a clip.

10:24 Here's Donnie Wahlberg in "Boston Blue." Take a look at this.

10:28 -Sean wouldn't stop talking about it, so I caved and joined.

10:32 -You joined TikTok on purpose?

10:35 -I did.

10:36 -And it's low-key incredible.

10:37 -Low-key?

10:37 If you start shooting TikToks in MCU,

10:39 I'm gonna send you back to Brooklyn.

10:41 -We would do some good videos together, you and I.

10:43 I'm just saying.

10:44 By the way, you know what "skibidi" means?

10:46 -No, I-I don't, and neither should you.

10:48 -We got to change with the times.

10:50 Get along with the people that we're policing.

10:51 -Danny Reagan, Gen Alpha-whisperer.

10:54 -Yeah, I like that.

10:56 -Come on.

10:57 Donnie Wahlberg, everybody.

10:59 You can catch a new episode of "Boston Blue"

11:01 every Friday at 10:00 p.m.

11:03 on CBS and Paramount+.

11:05 Morgan Neville joins us after the break.

11:07 Stick around, everybody.