Life and career

McIntyre was born in Needham, Massachusetts, the son of Thomas, a union official, and Katherine (Bowen) (died on November 30, 2014, after a long battle with Alzheimer's), a community theater actress. He is the youngest of nine children with older siblings, Judy, Alice, Susan, Tricia, Carol, Jean, Kate, and Tommy, in an Irish-American Catholic family. McIntyre graduated from Catholic Memorial High School in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, an all-male Catholic private school. He shares the same birth date as his sister, Carol. Another sister, Judy, is an actress.

Just before his 13th birthday, he joined New Kids on the Block, replacing Mark Wahlberg. Since the other four members of the band were already long-time school friends, he initially found it difficult to mesh with them. They became one of the most successful boy bands of the late 20th century, producing two number one albums on the US Billboard charts. In 1991, Forbes listed the band as the highest-earning entertainers, beating Madonna and Michael Jackson. They eventually split in 1994.

Following their split, McIntyre busied himself with songwriting and sought a solo recording contract. He made his acting debut in the film The Fantasticks, which was based on the long-running off-Broadway musical. This 1995 film, starring Joel Grey and Jean Louisa Kelly, was released in theatres five years later.

Disenchanted by his inability to find a recording contract, McIntyre used his own money to record his first solo album Stay the Same and sold it on his website. He then took his first single also entitled "Stay the Same" from the album to local Boston DJs, which eventually garnered the song national airplay. The combination of airplay and website sales for the single led to him signing a recording contract in 1999 with Sony Music USA, under the C2 label, a subsidiary of Columbia Records, which had previously been home to New Kids on the Block.

The album Stay the Same was re-released on Sony's Work Records and sold more than a million copies around the world. The single "Stay The Same", peaked in the Billboard Hot 100 at #10. The second track from the album was "I Love You Came Too Late".

Also in 1999, McIntyre recorded the song "Remember Me" for the film Southie, which starred former band mate Donnie Wahlberg.

In 2001, McIntyre released his second solo album, Meet Joe Mac, but it did not chart. "Rain" was the only single released from this album. Background vocals included Skyler Jett. During the same year, he hosted a season of MTV's Say What? Karaoke from Las Vegas, Nevada.

McIntyre played Jon in Jonathan Larson's Tick, Tick... BOOM! for both the off-Broadway (Fall 2001) and national tour (2003) versions of the play. In 2002, he appeared for a season on the television program Boston Public. The following year, he released the live acoustic album One Too Many with Emanuel Kiriakou.

McIntyre married Barrett Williams on August 9, 2003, exactly one year after they met. His fourth solo album 8:09 was released in 2004. Also in 2004, he starred in the film Tony n' Tina's Wedding, which co-starred Mila Kunis.

In 2004, McIntyre played Fiyero, the leading male role in the Broadway musical Wicked for which he received rave reviews. He replaced Norbert Leo Butz on July 20, 2004 and remained with the show until 9 January 2005 where he was later replaced by David Ayers. He also competed on the first season of the reality television show Dancing with the Stars, winning third place with dance professional partner Ashly DelGrosso.

McIntyre appeared as Fonzie in Happy Days, a musical based on the hit TV show at the Falcon Theater in Los Angeles from February 15 to March 12, 2006 and a second run from June 23 to August 13, 2006.

Beginning in December 2006, McIntyre took part in Dancing with the Stars - The Tour with actor Joey Lawrence, pop star Drew Lachey and TV stars Lisa Rinna and her husband Harry Hamlin.

McIntyre appeared in the film On Broadway, which was filmed in his hometown of Boston. He also released an album of cover versions entitled Talk To Me in December 2006.

In 2007, McIntyre appeared as Gary in Christmas At Cadillac Jacks. It played around Christmas of that year on The Hallmark Channel and other various Christian channels and recently became available on DVD.

McIntyre and Barrett welcomed their first child, Griffin Thomas, on November 20, 2007 in Los Angeles. On December 13, 2009, they welcomed their second child, Rhys Edward, who was identified as having hearing loss while still an infant. On May 31, 2011, they welcomed their third child, Kira Katherine.

In April 2008, it was announced that New Kids on the Block were reuniting. The single "Summertime" was released in May 2008. Their first full length album in fourteen years was released on 2 September 2008, titled The Block. On 18 September 2008, they kicked off their reunion tour. In 2009, they began a 'Full Service' summer tour. They toured with Backstreet Boys in 2011.

On November 17, 2009, McIntyre released the single "Here We Go Again" from his upcoming EP of the same name. It was produced by Brent Paschke, Gabe Lopez, and Drew Ryan Scott. Paschke, Lopez and Scott also share cowriting with McIntyre on the project. The video for "Here We Go Again" was premiered on the single release date. It was released on iTunes in December 2009.

On 2 November 2011, McIntyre guest starred on an episode of the detective comedy Psych. The title of the episode is "The Amazing Psych-Man & Tap Man, Issue #2" - Season 6x4

On April 15, 2013, McIntyre competed in the Boston Marathon, in which he ran to raise awareness of Alzheimer's in honor of his mother, who lost her battle with it on November 30, 2014, finishing with a time of 3 hours and 57 minutes just minutes before the explosion that killed 3 and injured many more.

In 2013, McIntyre acted in the American buddy cop comedy The Heat, as Peter Mullins, brother of Detective Shannon Mullins, played by Melissa McCarthy.

In 2014, McIntyre starred in the CBS TV sitcom The McCarthys, playing Gerard McCarthy.

Discography

With New Kids on the Block

• 1986: New Kids on the Block - #25 US, #6 UK
• 1988: Hangin' Tough - #1 US, #1 UK
• 1989: Merry, Merry Christmas - #9 US, #13 UK
• 1990: Step by Step - #1 US, #1 UK
• 1991: No More Games: The Remix Album - #10 US, #15 UK
• 1994: Face the Music - #37 US, #36 UK
• 1999: Greatest Hits - #22 US
• 2008: The Block - #2 US, #1 CANADA, #12 UK
• 2011: NKOTBSB - #7 US
• 2013: 10 (New Kids on the Block album) - #6 US

Solo albums

• 1998: Stay the Same (BNA label)
• 1999: Stay the Same (Sony Works release) - #49 US (Gold)
• 2001: Meet Joe Mac (Atlantic label)
• 2002: One Too Many: Live From New York
• 2004: 8:09 - #50 US Independent Chart
• 2006: Talk to Me
• 2009: Here We Go Again
• 2011: Come Home For Christmas

Solo singles

• 1999: "Stay the Same" - #10 US (Gold), #16 US Top 40 Mainstream
• 1999: "I Love You Came Too Late" - #54 US, #28 US Top 40 Mainstream
• 2000: "I Cried"
• 2001: "Rain"
• 2004: "L.A. Blue"
• 2009: "Here We Go Again"
• 2011: "Come Home For Christmas"

Other songs

• 2009: "5 Brothers and a Million Sisters"

Theater productions

• 1995: Barking Sharks
• 2000-2001: Tick, Tick... BOOM!
• 2003: Tick, Tick... BOOM!
• 2005: Wicked
• 2006: Happy Days (play)
• 2013: The Kid

[ Source: Wikipedia ]