Donald Edmond “Donnie” Wahlberg, Jr. was not always on the right side of the law as he currently is in numerous movies and TV shows, specifically his role of First Grade Detective Danny Reagan on the police drama, Blue Bloods. The actor was charged with first degree arson in 1991, but did his mea culpa with public service videos addressing fire safety, drug abuse and drunk driving.

Despite the scattered hiccups in his personal life, Wahlberg has proven himself a talented actor and musician, being a founding member of boy band New Kids on the Block at age 15. Young Donnie had a love for music and obsessed over Michael Jackson videos, practicing his choreography every day. The boys went on to sell over 70 million albums worldwide and gave way to other boy bands throughout the 80s and early 90s.

New Kids on the Block, Danny Wood, Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Jonathan Knight and Donnie Wahlberg, 1985

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, the eighth of nine children, Wahlberg discovered a positive outlet from his rebellious nature by performing in school plays and became involved with various aspects of theater – from acting to writing to directing.

Wahlberg made the leap from pop music to his big screen debut in the urban Mickey Rourke film Bullet (1996) as, what else, a tough guy thug. Later that year, he moved up the quality ladder with Ron Howard’s thriller Ransom, cast as part of a gang of kidnappers.

The next year, Wahlberg continued in his amoral heavy mode as a drug dealer in the horror film Black Circle Boys. But before long, he stepped out of the shadow of his brother Mark and came into his own, with raves for his tense and compelling character work, culminating with his current role on Blue Bloods.