Last Updated on September 13, 2024
Donald Edmond Wahlberg Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, actor, film & television producer, and radio personality.
As a musician, Donnie Wahlberg is best known for being the founding member of the ‘New Kids on the Block’ boy band. His roles in the band range from singing and rapping to songwriting and occasionally record producing.
Outside the music industry, Wahlberg has enjoyed tremendous acting success. He had major roles in the ‘Saw’ film franchise as well as in the films Ransom (1996), The Sixth Sense (1999), Dreamcatcher (2003), Righteous Kill (2008), and Zookeeper (2011). Wahlberg is also noted for his recurrent roles in the World War 11 miniseries Band of Brothers (2001), the television crime drama series Boomtown (2002 – 2003), and the drama series Blue Bloods (2010 – present).
Quick Facts
Full Name: | Donald Edmond Wahlberg Jr. |
Popular Name: | Donnie Wahlberg |
Gender: | Male |
Birth Date: | August 17, 1969 |
Age: | 53 years |
Parents: | Donald Wahlberg and Alma Wahlberg |
Siblings: | 8 biological siblings – Arthur Wahlberg, Paul Wahlberg, Jim Wahlberg, Robert Wahlberg, Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Wahlberg, Tracey Wahlberg, and Debbie Wahlberg (deceased); and 3 half-siblings – Scott Wahlberg, Buddy Wahlberg, and Donna Wahlberg |
Birth Place: | Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
Nationality: | United States |
Ethnicity: | Mixed (Swedish, Irish, English, Scottish, and French-Canadian) |
Education: | William Monroe Trotter School and Copley Square High School |
Marital Status: | Married to actress and comedienne Jenny McCarthy (since 2014); was previously married to Kimberley “Kim” Fey (from 1999 until their divorce in 2008) |
Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
Wife/Spouse: | Jenny McCarthy |
Children: | Xavier Alexander Wahlberg and Elijah Hendrix Wahlberg (all from his marriage to Kim Fey) |
Dating: | N/A |
Net Worth: | USD 25 million |
Source of Wealth: | Record & Album Sales, Songwriting, Record Producing, Acting, Film & Television Producing, Radio Presenting, and Other Ventures |
Height: | 5′ 10″ (1.78 m) |
Weight: | 69 kg; In pounds: 152 lbs |
Early Life and Career Information
Early Life
Donald Edmond Wahlberg Jr. was born on August 17, 1969, in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, to Donald Wahlberg and Alma Wahlberg. His father was a teamster who worked as a delivery driver while his mother was a bank clerk and nurse’s aide.
Donnie has 11 siblings, including actor Mark Wahlberg.
Music Career
Donnie Wahlberg and his great friend Danny Wood both attended Copley Square High School. It’s during this period that the duo formed The Kool Aid Bun rap group.
At the age of 15, Donnie successfully auditioned for renowned music producer Maurice Starr. Impressed by Wahlberg’s singing, rapping, and dancing skills, Starr signed the promising musician to his boy band. Donnie later recruited his brother Mark Wahlberg and friend Danny Wood, alongside Jordan Knight and Knight’s brother Jonathan. However, Mark exited the group shortly after. The band’s remaining members adopted the name ‘New Kids on the Block.’
New Kids on the Block signed with Columbia Records and in 1986, the group released its self-titled debut album. The album was an epic failure as nearly all the songs failed to get significant airplay.
NKOTB released their second studio album, Hangin’ Tough, the following year. The album experienced moderate success. Its lead single, Please Don’t Go Girl, reached #10 on the Billboard charts.
Donnie Wahlberg’s New Kids on the Blocks boy band went on to release six more studio albums. They include Step by Step (1990), Face the Music (1994), The Block (2008), 10 (2013), and Thankful (EP) (2017).
Acting Career
Donnie Wahlberg made his film debut portraying Shelby ‘Big Balls’ Horne in the 1996 movie, ‘Bullet.’ He appeared in two more films the same year. They include ‘Ransom’ and ‘Black Circle Boys.’
In 1998, Wahlberg had roles in the films ‘Body Count,’ ‘Butter,’ and ‘Southie.’ The same year, he appeared in the television movie ‘The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.’
In 1999, Donnie Wahlberg portrayed Vincent Grey in the film ‘The Sixth Sense.’ He also appeared as Deputy Glen in the television movie ‘Purgatory.’
The early 2000s were equally successful years for Donnie Wahlberg’s acting career. Donnie landed roles in the films Bullfighter (2000), Diamond Men (2000), and Triggermen (2002). He also appeared on a 2000 episode of the television series ‘The Practice.’
In 2001, Donnie Wahlberg got his first recurrent television role portraying Carwood Lipton on ‘Band of Brothers.’ He appeared in ten episodes of the show. The same year, Wahlberg featured in an episode of ‘UC: Undercover’ and in seven episodes of ‘Big Apple.’
Wahlberg’s next major television project came in 2002 when he began portraying Detective Mike Ryan in ‘Boomtown.’ He left the series a year later, having made a total of 24 appearances.
The following are other successful films and television shows Wahlberg has featured in to date:
Films
• Dreamcatcher (2003)
• Saw II (2005)
• Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing and Charm School (2005)
• Annapolis (2006)
• Saw III (2006)
• Dead Silence (2007)
• Saw IV (2007)
• Saw V (2008)
• Righteous Kill (2008)
• What Doesn’t Kill You (2008)
• Zookeeper (2011)
Television Shows
• Runaway (2006 – 2008)
• The Path to 9/11 (2006)
• The Kill Point (2007)
• In Plain Sight (2010)
• Blue Bloods (2010 – present)
• Wahlburgers (2014 – 2019; as a reality star)
• Return of the Mac (2017)
• Very Scary People (2019 – present; as a host)
• The Masked Singer (2021; as a guest)
Donnie Wahlberg’s Net Worth
Donnie Wahlberg has pursued a successful career in the entertainment industry spanning over three decades. His various engagements have earned him a net worth of $25 million as at 2023.
Wahlberg’s fortunes are mainly credited to his music and acting career. At the height of their success, the New Kids on the Block boy band sold millions of records as well as merchandise valued at over $400 million.
In the film cum television industry, the series ‘Blue Bloods’ is probably Donnie Wahlberg’s most commercially successful project. Wahlberg earned $60,000 per episode during the show’s earlier seasons before negotiating a pay rise to $150,000 per episode.
Lessons from Donnie Wahlberg
1. It’s never too late to go back to school
Donnie Wahlberg dropped out of high school due to substance abuse. He later returned to school and earned his high school diploma in June 2013, aged 42.
2. Family comes first
Wahlberg has a deep sense of family, as was clearly evidenced in the reality series ‘Wahlburgers.’
3. Reinvent yourself
Donnie Wahlberg enjoyed early success as a musician. But as the popularity of his ‘New Kids on the Block’ boy band began to wane, Wahlberg successfully reinvented himself as an actor.
Famous Quotes by Donnie Wahlberg
• If you are successful for 20 years, you can’t expect to stay on the same level all through that period. A career has its ups and downs and in-betweens.
• It’s different as a guest as opposed to being a star of a series. A guest star is a whole different responsibility. It’s much different than being a regular. You come in, and it’s a lot of unfamiliar faces, and you want to try to fit in as best you can, but also you want to stay there without making waves.
• I wasn’t exactly uncomfortable when I did my first comedy. I was just very aware of the risks; if you do a comedy that sucks, and you suck in it, then you won’t get a chance to do it again.
• There’s a real danger in doing a sequel. There are some benefits, but that all hinges on how well you execute. Quite frankly, most sequels don’t execute well.
• What’s important is self-appreciation.
Final Word
Donnie Wahlberg is an accomplished musician and actor with experience spanning more than three decades. The NKOTB founding member has amassed a net worth of $25 million as at 2023.