Are Donnie Wahlberg and Tom Selleck Blue Bloods friends in real life?

Police procedurals are all the rage on the small screen these days, but “Blue Bloods” stands out as one of the most successful. Since its debut on CBS more than 10 years ago, the family-centered crime drama has become one of the highest-rated shows of its type (according to TV Insider). Starring Tom Selleck as the husband, grandfather, father, and police commissioner known as Frank Reagan, the series follows the patriarch and his family members – mostly are all involved in law enforcement in their own right – as they solve crimes and discuss a variety of topics around the dinner table.

One of Frank’s sons is detective Danny Reagan, played by Danny Wahlberg. Like his old man, Danny is a devoted family man who takes his job very seriously, which sometimes gets him into trouble. Both characters were close on “Blue Bloods,” but were Selleck and Wahlberg friends behind the scenes?

Donnie Wahlberg and Tom Selleck are like father and son

Tom Selleck and Donnie Wahlberg as Frank and Danny in Blue Bloods
CBS

Danny Wahlberg and Tom Selleck have worked together for over a decade, so it’s fair to say that they at least have a professional working relationship. However, it turns out that the actors are very close to each other and their relationship is similar to the father-son bond their characters share in “Blue Bloods.”

In an interview with CBS, Wahlberg described Selleck as a “steadfast individual” who has been supportive since the first episode of “Blue Bloods” aired on the network. However, despite their closeness, Selleck always pushed his co-star to go above and beyond to make the film better, and in return he expected the same from Wahlberg. Wahlberg recalls an early conversation with Selleck in which his TV dad told him he was good at “making scripts better.” From then on, they relied on each other to “[run] through walls” for the show.

In a more heartfelt post, Wahlberg took to Instagram earlier this year to wish Selleck a happy birthday, describing him as a father and a friend outside of the show. “So grateful to have ‘daddy’ in my life and so blessed to have a small supporting role in the amazing legacy that is your life! Love Dad! Always, Son!”