Donnie Wahlberg Offers Half His Salary to Film ‘Boston Blue’ in Boston

Donnie Wahlberg recently shared how far he was willing to go to keep his new series Boston Blue true to its setting.

Speaking on SiriusXM’s Radio Andy, Wahlberg said he strongly pushed for the show to be filmed in Boston, where the story takes place and where he has personal roots. He explained that when he first heard about the project, he was excited but expected it to be set somewhere else.

“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.’”

However, the plan quickly ran into problems. According to Wahlberg, the production team told him that filming in Boston would cost too much. Instead, they decided to shoot most of the show in Toronto.

Wahlberg said he tried to change their minds by offering a large part of his 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 said.

But even that was not enough. He said the producers made it clear that money was not the only issue.

“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 explained that filming in Boston can be difficult for other reasons. Busy streets, crowds, and constant public attention can make production slow and complicated.

The show is a continuation of his role as Danny Reagan from Blue Bloods. Even though it is set in Boston, most scenes are filmed in Canada.

Season one of “Boston Blue” is already available on Paramount+, and the series has been renewed for a second season.

This shows how much location decisions in TV are driven by budget, not just story. Even when actors care about authenticity, production realities often win. Still, it is interesting to see an actor offer part of his pay for that reason. What do you think? Should shows try harder to film in real locations, or is it fine to use stand-ins like Toronto? Share your thoughts in the comments.