Donnie Wahlberg biography
Date of birth : 1969-08-17
Date of death : -
Birthplace : Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Nationality : American
Category : Arts and Entertainment
Last modified : 2011-08-29
Credited as : Singer, actor, New Kids, Blue Bloods
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Wahlberg was born in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, as the eighth of nine children, with older siblings Arthur, Jim, Paul, Robert, Tracey, Michelle, Debbie (died 2003) and younger sibling Mark Wahlberg. He also has three half-siblings from his father's first marriage- Donna, Scott and Buddy. His mother, Alma Elaine (née Donnelly), was a bank clerk and nurse's aide, and his father, Donald Edmond Wahlberg (died 2008) was a teamster who worked as a delivery driver; the couple divorced in 1982. He is of Irish, English, Swedish, and French Canadian ancestry.
After a successful holiday album in 1990, New Kids on the Block released a third full studio album, Step by Step, which also reached No. 1 on the Billboard Charts, boosted by the hit singles "Step by Step" and "Tonight." For a time, New Kids on the Block became the most popular and lucrative musical act in America.
After spending several years out of the limelight, in 1994 the group shortened its name to NKOTB, parted ways with Starr, and released a new album, Face the Music, featuring a harder and more aggressive sound. Despite a fairly positive critical reception, the album performed poorly; since the band's heyday, musical tastes had shifted toward harder-edged grunge rock and gangster acts, and NKOTB's bubble-gum image proved a tough sell. Later in 1994, the group parted ways.
Instead of pursuing a solo music career, Wahlberg decided to follow in the footsteps of his younger brother, Mark, by trying his hand at acting. At first he landed only bit parts as drug dealers or other tough-guy types in films such as Ransom (1996) and Black Circle Boys (1997). But Wahlberg really gained notice as an actor in 1999 with an astonishing performance as the deranged ex-patient who threatens Bruce Willis at the beginning of The Sixth Sense. Wahlberg lost 43 pounds for the role, and audiences were shocked to discover that the emaciated, hysterical figure was the same clean-cut Donnie Wahlberg from New Kids on the Block. Since then, Wahlberg has enjoyed a steady and successful acting career. Some of his most notable performances include Band of Brothers (2001), Saw II (2005) and the TV show Blue Bloods (2010).
In 2008, Wahlberg reunited all the former members of New Kids on the Block for a reunion album, The Block, which again reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts. The band backed the album with a world tour, and although not nearly as popular as they had been two decades before, New Kids on the Block again achieved success by reconnecting with their long-lost diehard fans.
Wahlberg married Kim Fey on August 20, 1999. He has two children with Fey, Xavier Alexander Wahlberg (born March 4, 1993) and Elijah Hendrix Wahlberg (born August 20, 2001). Wahlberg and Fey filed for divorce on August 13, 2008 citing "irreconcilable differences" and he is currently single. He is one of the "famous faces" due to being a regular player on the online poker website Hollywood Poker which is run in conjunction with Ongame Network.
Wahlberg is a passionate fan of the Boston Celtics and has been seen attending many of their games. He will be narrating a documentary called "The Association: Boston Celtics" about the team's 2010-11 season, which is set to air to ESPN between 2010 and 2011.
Filmography:
Turok (video game) (2008), as Shepherd
Righteous Kill (2008), as Detective Ted Reily
What Doesn't Kill You (2008), as Detective Moran
1 1/2 Ritter (2008), as singer
In Plain Sight (episode one, season 3) (TV series) (2010)
Rizzoli & Isles (2 episodes) (TV Series) (2010)
Zookeeper (2011) as Shane
Blue Bloods (TV Series) (2010 - present), as Detective Daniel "Danny" Reagan
