After losing part of his leg, he was inspired to put his faith into a ‘Blue Bloods’ spinoff

by

Brandon Sonnier understood while creating a new show based on CBS’s hit “Blue Bloods” that it was crucial to stay true to the original’s spirit.

Sonnier was a dedicated fan of the long-running drama about a New York family of police officers. Like many viewers, he was particularly touched by the show’s tradition of the Reagan family’s weekly Sunday dinners. The series, starring Tom Selleck, was a mainstay of the network for 14 years before concluding last year.

According to Sonnier, the recent family dinner scene perfectly captures the heart of the show: it’s fundamentally a family drama disguised as a police show. He explains that the family featured is built on strong values and a shared commitment to doing what’s right, and that’s what brings them together each week.

He’s teaming up with Brandon Margolis again for CBS’s “Boston Blue,” which starts Friday and brings back Donnie Wahlberg as Det. Danny Reagan. A beloved tradition of family dinners on the show is getting a fresh take, now reflecting the creator’s personal spiritual growth after a serious accident in 2019.

At the time, Brandon Sonnier and Jonathan Margolis were executive producers on the TV show “L.A’s Finest,” a spin-off of the “Bad Boys” movies starring Jessica Alba and Gabrielle Union as detectives. During filming of a major scene at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, a stunt car crashed into a shipping container close to where the film crew was gathered. Sonnier was seriously injured and trapped underneath the container.

His injuries were so extensive that doctors had to remove part of his right leg.

It’s a really powerful story – after being discharged from the hospital following his amputation, Sonnier was at his family’s usual Friday night Shabbat dinner. He’d been raised Catholic, but something about being home and sharing that meal with his family sparked a decision he’d been putting off for a long time. Right then and there, in a really emotional moment, he decided to finally convert to Judaism.

Television

An unusual accident occurred while filming the upcoming police drama “L.A.’s Finest,” starring Gabrielle Union and Jessica Alba, resulting in injuries to two of the show’s lead producers. One producer suffered a severe injury, losing part of his leg.

Sonnier explains, while at the show’s writing office in Sherman Oaks, that his wife is white and Jewish, and their children are biracial. They regularly share Shabbat dinner as a family. He had been living a Jewish lifestyle, but hadn’t formally converted to Judaism – until that particular dinner changed things for him.

He unzipped the bottom of his blue jeans to display the prosthetic limb on his leg.

Sonnier describes the experience as deeply traumatic, something she still struggles with daily. She finds it difficult to put into words what it’s like to lose a part of your body essential for something like balance and standing, explaining that it fundamentally changes your sense of self.

Sonnier and Margolis, known as “the two Brandons,” are bringing the character’s strong will and appreciation for his life-changing homecoming into their work, “Boston Blue.”

The new series follows Reagan as she moves to Boston and begins working with Detective Lena Silver (Sonequa Martin-Green), whose family has a strong history in law enforcement. The Silvers are a diverse Jewish family led by Reverend Edwin Peters (Ernie Hudson), a Baptist minister.

The Silver family – including District Attorney Mae Silver, Police Superintendent Sarah Silver, and Officer Jonah Silver – have a weekly family dinner, but it’s a special one: a traditional Shabbat meal with Hebrew prayers. Lena invites Detective Ramirez and his sister, Erin Reagan, to join them, calling her family a “big, happy, and a little complicated.”

After the blessing, Peters tells Reagan, “We all do what is meaningful to us.”

I recently spoke with Margolis about their casting choices, and they explained they wanted to showcase a family that better reflected Brandon’s background – a family that might not share the same ethnicity or religious beliefs as the Reagans, but still possesses relatable core values and experiences. It’s a smart move to broaden representation and show universal family dynamics.

Sonnier explains that watching ‘Blue Bloods’ made him think, ‘This feels like my family, but I wish the show actually *looked* like my family.’ He believes the show accurately portrays a mix of cultures and that the character Danny gets a glimpse into something authentic and deeply moving.

When asked if the show’s diverse cultural and religious mix would appeal to people given the current tense political and racial environment, he explained that many are “longing for” something like “Boston Blue.” He emphasized that the show isn’t about politics or religion, but rather about unity and finding common ground – things people are really craving right now given how divided things are.

Wahlberg and Martin-Green have each embraced the faith-flavored direction of “Boston Blue.”

Donnie Wahlberg explained that viewers particularly enjoyed the family dinner scenes in ‘Blue Bloods,’ and he believes the new show continues that tradition. He was especially moved by the true story behind the show’s creator, Brandon, noting that the series is based on his actual life experiences, which gives it a unique and genuine quality.

Martin-Green believes this show is unlike anything viewers have seen before, describing it as both brave and lovely. She highlighted the show’s inclusion of both Christian and Jewish perspectives, and expressed her admiration for the Hebrew language, calling it beautiful and hinting at a deeper, spiritual significance within it.

Being involved with the show has made Margolis even more impressed with how well his partner has recovered from the accident.

He described the experience as deeply traumatic, something they all went through together. Throughout his recovery, his faith has been a strong source of support for his family. I’m amazed by his resilience – the accident hasn’t held him back at all. He continues to coach Little League and is actually more active than I am. He refuses to let it define his life.

Throughout his story, Sonnier often spoke highly of his wife, whom he’d been with since high school, and their four children.

I remember reading that Chef Sonny Sonnier had a real turning point about fifteen years ago – he was at a bar mitzvah and it sparked a desire to leave Catholicism and embrace Judaism. But it wasn’t a simple decision, or a quick one. He told me it took a lot of work and time to actually make that conversion happen.

He admits that life got in the way. He had a successful career and a large family, so he kept putting off the process of converting – things like taking classes, learning about the religion, and practicing the prayers.

“Then came this horrible and tragic accident.”

Sonnier’s voice takes on a controlled tone as he recalls the incident.

We were filming a car stunt where an empty vehicle was connected to a cable and another driven car was meant to hit it from the side. Brandon and I were watching from a safe area – a small building behind a shipping container. This container was supposed to be strong enough to withstand any impact if something went wrong during the stunt.

According to Sonnier, the speeding vehicle crashed into the driverless car at a bad angle, snapping a guide wire. This caused the driverless car to lose control and speed towards a shipping container. As Brandon and I ran to get away, the car slammed into the container, knocking both me and Margolis to the ground. The impact landed on my leg, and we were trapped, back to back, for around twenty minutes.

Jeff Bova, part of the production’s transportation team, quickly applied a tourniquet to stop Sonnier’s bleeding leg. When a forklift began to lift a container nearby, Bova, who had served in the military, rushed over. “He told me that if they lifted it, I would bleed to death,” Sonnier remembered. “He then used his belt to tighten a new tourniquet higher up on my leg, and he saved my life.”

Even though he was in terrible pain, Sonnier was still thinking like a producer, directing the paramedics treating him. He told them, ‘You have to save this – I coach Little League, and I *have* to be able to dance with my daughter at her wedding.’ It was incredibly moving to witness, even in that stressful situation.

After a few days in the hospital, the reality of the situation became clear. Doctors were trying to save my leg, but my wife realized it wasn’t working. She told me she couldn’t risk losing me, and that they would have to amputate my foot. I truly believe my wife is incredibly wise. She explained it like Marie Kondo’s method of decluttering – we needed to acknowledge the foot had served its purpose, but it was time to let it go.

He got home a few days later, arriving just in time for the Friday night Shabbat dinner. He explained, “I was using a large, awkward wheelchair. For Shabbat, we light the candles on the kitchen island and everyone gathers around to say the blessing.” His mom, in-laws, and family friends were all there. People were a little unsure of what he was capable of, so he stayed towards the back of the group while they said the blessing.

He stopped for a moment and said, “During the challah blessing, one person touches the bread while everyone else joins hands, creating a connected chain. My oldest son turned and took my hand, including me in that chain. That’s when I started crying. In that moment, I knew I would convert to Judaism. I realized I could no longer use excuses; it was time to commit.”

About two weeks after the accident, Sonnier went back to work on “L.A.’s Finest,” directing an episode for its second and final season. He and Margolis then collaborated on other shows, notably as co-executive producers for CBS’ “S.W.A.T.”

“Boston Blue” is the most meaningful achievement of his career so far. He describes it as a wonderful experience to bring people of different backgrounds together, allowing them to share his faith while still respecting their own beliefs.

Read More

2025-10-17 13:35