Blue Bloods' Stars Were Allowed To Eat Their Family Dinner If They Followed One Rule
Family dinners were a crucial part of life for the Regan family of "Blue Bloods." Actors could eat from the abundant prop food, as long as one rule was abided.
On Blue Bloods, family dinners serve as a crucial bonding moment for characters, who gather after busy weeks in law enforcement. Donnie Wahlberg, one of the stars, cherished these scenes as weekly check-ins, similar to the fictional Reagans' tradition. However, filming these dinners was far more challenging than it appears. According to prop master Jim Lillis, actors were permitted to eat their food, but strictly prohibited from speaking with their mouths full.
Tom Selleck, the series' patriarch, revealed during a PaleyFest panel that these dinners took six to eight hours to film, making it quite an extensive period to eat or feign eating. Vanessa Ray, who played Eddie Lanko, learned the hard way that she couldn't eat 17 rolls as instructed. Despite the strict rule, Danny Wahlberg, another star, flaunted it by talking with his mouth full to portray a character who fits that role.
Following Blue Bloods' cancellation after 14 seasons, Wahlberg salvaged the Reagan family dinner table from the set and brought it to his own restaurant, Wahlburgers, for fans to enjoy.
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