Biography
A teen idol in the late 1980s and early 1990s as one-fifth of the boy band, New Kids on the Block, Donnie Wahlberg successfully reinvented himself as an actor years later with gritty and demanding turns in "The Sixth Sense" (1999), "Ransom" (1996), "Band of Brothers" (HBO, 1998) and "Saw II" (2005). The pop group topped the charts for an enormously successful but brief run; after their demise in 1994, he followed his brother Mark Wahlberg's …
Donnie Wahlberg SlideShow
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Career Milestones
| Raised in Dorchester, Massachusetts | ||
1985 | Along with brother Mark, joined the singing group New Kids on the Block (Mark departed from the group within six months and did not appear on any released recordings) | |
1986 | Released debut album, New Kids on the Block | |
1988 | New Kids on the Block undertook extensive promotional world tours, winning millions of rabid fans | |
1989 | New Kids on the Block released the holiday album, Merry, Merry Christmas, with proceeds from the single "This One's For the Children" donated to children's charities | |
1990 | Released the New Kids on the Block album, Step by Step | |
1991 | Co-produced and co-wrote tracks on his brother's hit album, Music for the People | |
1994 | New Kids on the Block made failed comeback attempt with Face the Music | |
1995 | Made feature acting debut in "Bullet" with Mickey Rourke and Tupac Shakur; released direct-to-video in 1997 | |
1996 | Had supporting role as one of the kidnappers in "Ransom" | |
1997 | Appeared in "Black Circle Boys" | |
1998 | Played Mr. Grey in the ABC remake of the classic hostage film "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" | |
1998 | Played the leading role in John Shea's directorial debut "Southie"; film received a limited release | |
1998 | Starred in the music-industry set mystery thriller "Butter" on HBO | |
1999 | Co-starred in the TNT Western "Purgatory" | |
1999 | Had a small but memorable role as a patient of Bruce Willis's character in the opening sequence of M. Night Shyamalan's "The Sixth Sense" | |
2000 | Acted in "Bullfighter" | |
2001 | Appeared in the HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers" | |
2001 | Had regular role on the CBS police drama "Big Apple" | |
2001 | Starred opposite Robert Forster in the independent feature "Diamond Men" | |
2002 | Cast as Joel Stevens, an intense Los Angeles police detective in the NBC series "Boomtown" | |
2003 | Cast as the mentally challenged Duddits in Goldman and Kasdan's adaptation of the Stephen King alien-invasion thriller, "Dreamcatcher" | |
2005 | Co-starred in the horror sequal "Saw II" | |
2006 | Returned for the third installment of the Saw horror series, "Saw III" | |
2006 | Starred in the Disney drama "Annapolis," directed by Justin Lin | |
2007 | Cast as Capt. Horst Cali on "The Kill Point" (Spike) | |
2007 | Starred in the television movie "Kings of South Beach" on A&E | |
2008 | Appeared in "Righteous Kill" co-starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino | |
2010 | Cast as a detective (and former soldier) on CBS's "Blue Bloods" | |