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"Blue Bloods" star Donnie Wahlberg balancing career and family

Wahlberg joins "CBS This Morning" to talk about his crime drama and his recent wedding to Jenny McCarthy
Donnie Wahlberg on Blue Bloods, band and family 06:24

"Blue Bloods" star Donnie Wahlberg wears many hats. He's an actor, singer, producer -- but at heart, he's just the son of a former truck driver, father of two sons and now husband to Jenny McCarthy.

"I'm very, very blessed," Wahlberg said on "CBS This Morning."

His current role as detective Danny Reagan on the primetime cop drama has fans all over tuning in -- even a few notable ones.

"My wife was interviewing Hillary Clinton last year and Hillary came off the stage and said 'I just have to tell you, I love "Blue Bloods." Bill and I watch it every Friday night,'" Wahlberg said.

On the show, Wahlberg's character comes from a family of New York City law enforcement and is the son of the police commissioner. But this season, Wahlberg doesn't expect his character to be the same.

"He has a new lieutenant coming into the squad room who's really going to straighten him out," he said. "Latanya Richardson plays the part. She's phenomenal, and she might make my character shave a little bit."

While his portrayal of Danny has critics applauding, it's the behind-the-scenes details that might be even more impressive. He said he works eight months out of the year, five days a week, sometimes hitting 16 hours a day.

"But I could be digging ditches on 7th Avenue instead of pretending to chase bad guys," he said. "There could be real bullets flying at me instead of fake ones."

In addition to his role on "Blue Bloods," Wahlberg produces two other TV shows and still keeps his band, New Kids on the Block, thriving.

"To be 40 and touring as opposed to 20 --I know what I did wrong then, I know what I missed out on and I know to not let a show go by without taking in as many smiles," he said. "It's such an incredible power to be able to go up on stage and perform and to touch people."

And while he wouldn't say specifically, Wahlberg said there's more of the band to come.

"We have some special news we're going to be announcing very soon," he said. "But we like to tour and we like to work as much as possible and we have the best fans on earth."

Right now though, his biggest fan might be wife Jenny McCarthy. The two married in September, and Wahlberg said it's their uncanny connection that makes the relationship so wonderful.

"You know, her and I sort of came around in the same era," he said. "We have both gone through divorces and gone through so many similarities both professionally and personally. And to discover each other for the first time really in our 40s--we never really met through all those years--we just hit it off."

And despite rumors, things between his brother Mark and him are just fine too.

"I know there were stories he didn't make my wedding," he said. "I actually didn't make his either. It wasn't anything personal."

At the end of the day, Donnie Wahlberg is just happy to be living the life he's got. He admits he's had to make sacrifices, but it's the reward of making people happy on stage and the screen, that makes it all worth it.

"I've worked my whole life to be in this position and I'm not going to complain about anything," he said. "I'm very grateful for all the opportunities I have. I love what I do."

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