Two Vital Blue Bloods Cast Members Almost Passed on Their Roles

Over its 13-season run, Blue Bloods made sure we couldn't imagine anybody but Donnie Wahlberg and Bridget Moynahan as Danny and Erin Reagan.

However, back at the time when it all started, the two almost missed a chance to become part of the Reagan family!

First one to almost miss the chance of a lifetime was Donnie Wahlberg, who was initially reluctant to sign up for Blue Bloods.

It's not like he doubted the project or anything, but he definitely had to think twice.

“I think, as an actor, I wouldn’t have been ready 10 years ago to play it”, Wahlberg said when speaking to The 92nd Street Y. “Maybe even 8 years ago. But when this part came along, I was ready to trust what was on the paper and risk the audience not liking me for the better of the show. And it turns out people understand the character more than I ever knew.”

Oh the irony, because Wahlberg would be the exact person to later persuade his on-screen sister-to-be, Bridget Moynahan, to join Blue Bloods! The actress had already ditched the show when Wahlberg, whom she worked with previously, called her.

“I called Bridget Moynahan, but she said, ‘I already turned it down, I’m not going to do it'. I begged and pleaded and made her an offer she couldn’t refuse,” Wahlberg recalled in an interview with ET.

Apparently, for Moynahan it was important that the show would be filmed in New York, so Wahlberg promised to give her his paycheck in case it wouldn't work out. Fortunately, he didn't have to make the huge sacrifice, as they did, after all, shoot in New York.

For Moynahan, the decision turned out to be one of the best: not only Erin Reagan became her signature role, but she even came up with her own Blue Bloods-inspired cookbook, titled The Blue Bloods Cookbook: 120 Recipes That Will Bring Your Family to the Table. And yes, of course, this is an homage to the iconic dinner scenes from the show.

Meanwhile, Wahlberg also cares about his Blue Bloods' character a lot; he and the rest of the cast even agreed to substantial pay cuts in order to keep the show afloat and make sure season 14 was a go.

So far, the premiere date for Blue Bloods season 14 remains unknown, as the series is in limbo due to the ongoing writers' and actors' strikes.

Sources: The 92nd Street Y, Entertainment Tonight