Boston Blue’s Mika Amonsen Addresses Sean Reagan Backlash After Recasting
New Face of a Familiar Reagan: Mika Amonsen Navigates ‘Boston Blue’ Role
The transition of a beloved television character is rarely seamless. For Mika Amonsen, stepping into the role of Sean Reagan in the Blue Bloods spinoff, Boston Blue, came with a unique set of expectations – and a vocal fanbase already attached to the actor who came before him. Amonsen replaced Andrew Terraciano, who played Danny Reagan’s youngest son for the entirety of the original series’ 14-season run.
“There’s been some negativity, for sure,” Amonsen admitted in an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, the source of much of the information in this report. But he quickly added a crucial nuance: “But when I look under those posts that have the negativity, there’s a lot of fans rallying for Sean and people saying that they really enjoyed this character that I’ve created – or my version of the character.”
A Legacy to Respect, a Character to Own
The pressure was immediate. Terraciano’s portrayal of Sean had resonated with viewers for over a decade, growing up alongside the Reagan family as Blue Bloods became a Friday night staple for millions. The original series, which concluded in 2024, followed the professional and personal lives of the Reagan family, a multi-generational dynasty deeply rooted in law enforcement in New York City. Sean’s storyline, particularly his relationship with his father, Danny (played by Donnie Wahlberg), was a key component of the show’s emotional core.
Amonsen understood the weight of that history. “I definitely felt a ton of pressure at first,” he explained. “I felt the pressure to respect an actor before me because I wanted to respect Andrew the best I could.” This respect manifested in tangible ways, from mirroring Terraciano’s hairstyle to subtly adopting mannerisms he’d observed in the earlier seasons. He binge-watched the later seasons of Blue Bloods specifically, aiming to understand Sean’s evolution as he transitioned into adulthood.
However, Amonsen was also determined to bring his own interpretation to the role. “I really want to maintain Sean as close as I can in the ways that I do it out of respect for this character that everyone loves – but also the character Andrew built,” he said. “I wanted to respect Andrew’s portrayal of Sean as much as I could – but also adding something to my own version.”
Exploring New Territory in ‘Boston Blue’
Boston Blue shifts the focus from New York to Boston, offering a fresh backdrop for the Reagan family drama. The spinoff explores Sean’s journey as he navigates his own career in law enforcement, a path that wasn’t explicitly charted in Blue Bloods. This new direction provides Amonsen with creative latitude, allowing him to shape Sean’s identity in ways that feel both familiar and distinct.
“We’re really just exploring what would have been,” Amonsen noted. “Of course, it is my own version of it but at the same time we haven’t seen this relationship with Sean and his dad before. He’s coming into this whole new position because from what I understand, the exploration of Sean being a cop wasn’t something that was on the table.”
The showrunners, Brandon Sonnier and Brandon Margolis, have reportedly encouraged this exploration, granting Amonsen the freedom to develop a dynamic with Wahlberg that feels authentic and organic. Amonsen also discovered unexpected common ground with his predecessor, noting a shared “upbeat energy” that allowed him to feel more comfortable inhabiting the role.
The Broader Context: Television Spinoffs and Fan Reaction
Television spinoffs are a common practice, often capitalizing on the established popularity of a parent series. However, they also carry inherent risks. Recasting a beloved character, as in this case, can be particularly fraught with challenges. According to a 2023 report by Nielsen, spinoffs can boost viewership by as much as 30%, but only if they successfully maintain the core elements that resonated with the original audience while offering something new and compelling.
The backlash Amonsen has faced is not unusual. Fans often develop strong emotional connections to characters and actors, and any deviation from that established dynamic can be met with resistance. However, the positive response he’s also receiving suggests that many viewers are willing to embrace his interpretation of Sean Reagan.
A New Chapter for the Reagan Family
Ultimately, Amonsen’s success will depend on his ability to balance respect for the past with a willingness to forge his own path. He seems acutely aware of this challenge, and his commitment to honoring Terraciano’s work while simultaneously injecting his own personality into the role is a promising sign.
Boston Blue airs on CBS Fridays at 10 p.m. ET, offering viewers a chance to see how this new chapter unfolds for the Reagan family. Whether Amonsen can fully win over the skeptics remains to be seen, but his thoughtful approach and genuine enthusiasm suggest he’s up to the task.
ARTICOL ORIGINAL:
Boston Blue‘s Mika Amonsen has seen the Sean Reagan backlash after he was cast in the Blue Bloods spinoff in place of Andrew Terraciano.
“There’s been some negativity, for sure,” Amonsen exclusively told Us Weekly about taking over the role of Donnie Wahlberg‘s onscreen son. “But when I look under those posts that have the negativity, there’s a lot of fans rallying for Sean and people saying that they really enjoyed this character that I’ve created — or my version of character.”
Amonsen noted that he wanted to make Blue Bloods fans happy with his performance, saying, “They’re really enjoying the show and they love where it’s going in terms of Sean and that makes me happy.”
Sean was originally introduced on Blue Bloods, which aired from 2010 to 2024 and followed the lives of the Reagan family. Wahlberg’s fan-favorite character Danny was previously married to Linda Rose Reagan (Amy Carlson), with whom he shared sons Jack and Sean, before her death. The role of Danny’s youngest son was played by Terraciano for the entirety of the show’s 14 seasons.
After Blue Bloods came to an end in 2024, CBS announced a spinoff titled Boston Blue. Amonsen was subsequently added to the cast as Sean.
“I definitely felt a ton of pressure at first. I felt the pressure to respect an actor before me because I wanted to respect Andrew the best I could,” Amonsen recalled. “There were even certain visual choices that I made that I wanted to keep in terms of hair styling and certain ways of being [as Sean].
Amonsen wanted to pay tribute to Terraciano’s take on the character.
“I really want to maintain Sean as close as I can in the ways that I do it out of respect for this character that everyone loves — but also the character Andrew built,” he continued. “When I booked the show, it all happened really quickly. It was within about a week’s time and I was really thrown into it quickly. I did binge watch as much as I could and I found doing the later seasons was more helpful. I wanted to get a sense of who Sean was toward the end of the show. I really wanted to get a sense of his character at that point into adulthood and his relationship with Danny.”
After rewatching key episodes of Boston Blue, Amonsen found ways to celebrate Terraciano’s performance.
“I wanted to respect Andrew’s portrayal of Sean as much as I could — but also adding something to my own version. The showrunners Brandon Sonnier and Brandon Margolis have been really good at giving me a lot of freedom to explore that new dynamic with Donnie,” he shared. “Watching Andrew’s performance, I actually noticed a lot of similarities just between us as people, and our energy. It’s quite upbeat. I have a lot more of an upbeat energy myself. So that was a bit comforting. I definitely kept that within myself and didn’t feel like I was obligated to change that part of me — which was nice — in terms of making it my own.”
Amonsen concluded: “We’re really just exploring what would have been. Of course, it is my own version of it but at the same time we haven’t seen this relationship with Sean and his dad before. He’s coming into this whole new position because from what I understand, the exploration of Sean being a cop wasn’t something that was on the table.”
Boston Blue airs on CBS Fridays at 10 p.m. ET.