Blue Bloods: Why Lou Diamond Phillips Was Brought Back In By Hook Or By Crook
Lou Diamond Phillips debuted on "Blue Bloods" in Season 9, Episode 1, but he was only supposed to be there for a cup of coffee. His cartel character, Louis Delgado, was originally meant to be killed off by the end of the episode in question. However, Phillips is nothing like Delgado in real life, and he made such a great impression on the cast and crew that they decided to bring him back into the fold for more outings.
"We were having such a good time together working that I talked to the writer and said, 'Why does that have to be him? Maybe it's someone made up to look like him and we can keep the character alive,'" Donnie Wahlberg told PopCulture. "And everybody was responding so well to Lou on set that she agreed, the writer agreed and she pitched it to the network and everyone agreed and now we have Lou back I think four times."
The actor ultimately returned for four episodes altogether, all thanks to Wahlberg using his sway to get him on board again. While he's a fan of Phillips' talents, Wahlberg explained that his connection to his fellow actor is more personal than simply enjoying working with him on "Blue Bloods."
Donnie Wahlberg and Lou Diamond Phillips are friends in real life
While speaking to PopCulture, Donnie Wahlberg explained that he and Donnie Wahlberg have a close-knit bond. Both actors are passionate about their craft, directing, and family lives. They also have children with special needs, so they're able to relate to each others' experiences to some degree. As such, Wahlberg always hopes to work with his friend.
"We have this really tight bond as friends and I don't care what they have to do to keep bringing him back onto the show, I just want them to keep bringing him back onto the show," Wahlberg added. "It's just rare you get to work with somebody you click with so well and they're amazing at what they do. I feel like he makes me a better actor and he makes our show a better show."
Wahlberg also revealed that Phillips plans to direct an episode of "Blue Bloods" at some point, but it remains to be seen if he's still interested. However, he has at least kept busy working on shows such as "Bull" and "Longmire."