Donnie Wahlberg Confirmes What We Suspected All Along About Tom Selleck's On-Set Behavior

CBS' "Blue Bloods" has a respectable cast of character talent, not the least of which is TV legend Tom Selleck as family patriarch Frank Reagan. For a generation of viewers, Selleck is probably best known for his role in Magnum, P.I., but his presence in the series Blue Bloods means he's the rare actor with so many iconic TV roles. Many actors are lucky enough to only get one, but then again, Selleck isn't like most actors, and you can tell that's the case by the way his co-stars talk about him.

Selleck may have years of experience acting, but Donnie Wahlberg, who plays Danny Reagan on "Blue Bloods," more than holds his own against him. The two have had many scenes together, so it is not surprising that Wahlberg has nothing but compliments for his co-star.

Donnie Wahlberg refers to Tom Selleck as someone with a lot of experience and intelligence.

Tom Selleck is an excellent collaborator, and it's no surprise that he's enjoyed working with many talented actors over the years. After all, it's clear that he has a lot to share and help others achieve success. In an interview with Outsider, Donnie Wahlberg shared that he enjoys working with Tom Selleck, who is a true leader and experienced actor.

It’s a great sensation for an actor to go up against someone who challenges them. It prevents one from getting complacent and always striving to deliver another stellar performance. Wahlberg goes on to describe how it’s almost like a dance between the two, as he states, “Knowing when to step up, knowing that this is the time Tom could really use my input. Or knowing when to step back and knowing this is the time I gotta trust Tom. It is very truthful off-screen as it is on-screen for Danny and Frank.”

It sounds like the actors have a great working relationship, and their storylines have been very successful over the past 200 episodes. It's likely that "Blue Bloods" won't end anytime soon.

Selleck's character is one of the many reasons that Wahlberg joined the show.

One reason why Selleck and Wahlberg get along so well is because Wahlberg sees a lot of his own father in Selleck’s character. In a 2013 interview with The Huffington Post, Wahlberg said that he was drawn to “Blue Bloods” because he could relate to his character Danny as one of a group of siblings who often squabble, but always come together in the end.

"'Blue Bloods' is a throwback show because they don't do family-focused shows like this anymore," Wahlberg said. "Nowadays, it's about a family selling heroin down the street, or a husband with three wives. All focus on unusual families. When I read the pilot, I thought the family dinner scene was pretty cool." It was most charming, I could feel my father looking down on me and my sister during our argument, but I had that same heat with Tom Selleck and Bridget [Moynahan].

“And just as we tease Tom on screen, this is straight from my childhood with my dad. He was a very tough guy and we loved trying to cut through that hard exterior and make him laugh.”

Off-camera, Selleck and Wahlberg have a close like father-son relationship

Wahlberg and Selleck's relationship has grown closer over the years since "Blue Bloods" first aired. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, which he gave shortly after the death of his mother, Alma, Wahlberg talked about his bond with Selleck.

“Now I call him dad and he calls me son,” Wahlberg said. “I mean, this is how we talk to each other off-screen. At first he whined at me, like ... "This musician is kind of weird." And then he now calls me son. He will come in and hug me tightly. You know, Tom Selleck hugs you, that’s a big deal."

In a show like Blue Bloods, it only works if the actors can believably portray the family dynamics we’re all familiar with. Fortunately for Wahlberg and Selleck, it doesn't feel like they have to fake the father-son dynamic too much — and that's one of the many reasons Blue Bloods is so well received by fans.