Donnie Wahlberg fans, especially if you’ve seen the A&E reality show “Wahlburgers,” know his late mother Alma. However, most aren’t familiar with his father. Who’s the “Blue Bloods” star’s dad?
Donald Edmond Wahlberg Sr. was both a Korean War vet and Teamsters Local 25 member. Donnie’s father was also a former actor. In 1998, Donnie and his father worked together in the film “Southie.”
In addition to serving the country, the Boston-native dad has also partly contributed to a few of the most famous names in Hollywood today.
The father of nine passed away on February 14, 2008. During the funeral, the church pews were filled with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, per the Boston Herald. In his eulogy, Donnie spoke on his father and how he did as a parent.
“My dad was always wondering if he did a good job as a parent,” Donnie said, in the Boston Herald article. “Looking at the front row here. I think he’d be pretty proud.”
Donnie also described his dad at the funeral as “a little grouchy,” but he’d never end a conversation without saving “I love you.’
Married for over 17 years, Donald and Alma had gotten a divorce when the “New Kids on the Block” member was young. The formerly married couple had nine children together. However, it’s since been revealed that his father had more kids outside the family.
In a 2001 interview with Vanity Fair, Donnie’s brother Mark explained how he felt when he learned about his dad.
“There are a couple of kids floating around that I just met at Christmas,” Mark said. “I thought it was funny. I was like, ‘Jesus, how many kids do you have?”
Then, he told Vanity Fair his estimated guess on how many children his dad might have fathered.
“Now there’s 12 in all, but there’s probably a couple more; my dad was in the army and spent a lot of time overseas,” said Mark. “There’s a lotta people in my family.”
Actor Donnie Wahlbergs Always Finds Time for Family
Despite his busy schedule, actor Donnie Wahlberg finds time between “Blue Bloods” and “New Kids on the Block” to spend with family. Married to model and actress Jenny McCarthy, they both live in Chicago together.
As previously covered by Outsider, Donnie told CBS, in 2019, how he manages to see McCarthy in his free time.
“Even if I work Thursday and can’t fly home with her [McCarthy spends midweeks on the set of her Sirius show in Manhattan], she’ll book a flight that gives her a couple of hours to spend with me on our set on her way to LaGuardia,” he said. “We, with our sons, really do everything to be together.”
After growing up in such a large family, Donnie has continued to realize the importance of spending time together. He’s always been known to have close relationships to his siblings, as well as his late mother.
