Was actor Garry Walberg (Lt. Monahan) related to any members of New Kids on the Block?

Given the last name and the timing, was Garry Walberg — who played Lt. Frank Monahan on Quincy, M.E. — related to Donnie or Mark Wahlberg of New Kids on the Block fame?

It’s a reasonable guess — especially since Garry Walberg and the Wahlbergs share a similar-sounding surname — but the answer is no, actor Garry Walberg was not related to Donnie, Mark, or any of the famous Wahlberg siblings from the New Kids on the Block dynasty.

Garry Walberg was born Gerrit Christian Walberg Jr. in Buffalo, New York, in 1921 — decades before the boy band era exploded. He had a long and respected career in television, appearing in shows like Perry Mason, The Odd Couple, and of course, his iconic role as the world-weary but loyal Lt. Frank Monahan on Quincy, M.E.

The Wahlberg family, including Donnie and actor/entrepreneur Mark Wahlberg, hail from Boston, Massachusetts, and rose to fame in the late 1980s and early ’90s. While they share a similar last name (with slightly different spelling), there’s no family connection between Garry Walberg and the music-acting Wahlberg clan.

So, next time you see Monahan questioning a suspect or sharing coffee with Quincy in the coroner’s lab, you can appreciate him for what he was — a talented character actor with no need for a pop star connection!