For most actors, pay negotiations are a chance to get more. But when it came to Donnie Wahlberg, he was ready to give up 50% of his income. When Wahlberg, besides starring in Boston Blue, joined as one of the show’s executive producers, he wanted to film the show in Boston, not a facsimile or a Hollywood backdrop, but the real Boston, with all its grit and character. It was personal for him.
That didn’t change the CBS’s mind, though. Passion still can’t beat tax breaks and budgets in today’s TV world.
Donnie Wahlberg almost gave up half his paycheck for Boston Blue
There’s passion, and then there’s Donnie Wahlberg willing to forego half his pay to shoot Boston Blue in Boston. Wahlberg told SiriusXM’s Radio Andy that he lobbied for a Boston production, even if that meant risking his own salary. It was more than finances for him. He grew up in Boston and it is not just another city for him. He took a traditional approach: shoot on location, with texture and the city itself as character, not a mere setting.
But reality hit. CBS decided to shoot Boston Blue largely in Toronto. Why? Cost and logistics. Boston is costly, volatile, and highly populated: not as conducive to filmmaking as Canadian cities with good tax breaks. Ultimately, it was heart vs. wallet, and the wallet prevailed. In the recent conversation on SiriusXM, Donnie Wahlberg revealed,
“When I got offered the job, I’m like, ‘This is a dream come true.’ I thought, I’ll do a spinoff in L.A. or Vegas or Texas, somewhere hot. And they were like, ‘How about Boston?’ I was like, ‘Ahhhh.’ They hooked me. And I was like, ‘Alright, let’s do it in Boston.’”
He continued,
“And they were like, ‘But we can’t afford to shoot it in Boston, we’re gonna shoot it in Toronto.’ I was like, ‘No, no.’ So, I said, ‘Listen, I’ll give back 50% of my paycheck if we can go to Boston.’ I did. And they said, ‘You can give back 100% and so can the rest of the cast, we cannot film this show in Boston.’ It’s so expensive. For the most part, we shoot in Toronto.”
The compromise with CBS
This isn’t the end of the line for Wahlberg, or Bostonites huffing for that Boston vibe. Rather than relocating the show, Boston Blue has gone “semi-locals”. The show is mostly shot in Toronto, where it costs less and it’s easier to work. But crucial exterior scenes are still shot in Boston, including its landmarks, streets and skyline, keeping the city as part of the show’s DNA.
It’s not entirely ideal, but it’s a savvy choice. It retains Boston’s visual identity without all the financial strain, and provides enough of Boston’s local flavor to make the series feel authentic. For Wahlberg, it’s a longer-term game. If Boston Blue is successful, there’s a chance that one day production could be moved entirely to Boston.
For the time being, Boston Blue is a bit of both art and business. And that might be the key to success.
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Edited by Sohini Biswas