Hollywood Legend: The Skinny On Tom Selleck

We’ll do our best not to bombard you with mustache-isms while talking about Tom Selleck – but then again, who are we kidding it’s Tom Selleck! From Magnum, P.I. to Friends to Blue Bloods, Selleck has been gracing our screens since we can remember and still is. So let’s just discuss one of Hollywood’s most respected and loved actors, who also has flaws mind you, because it’s high time someone did.

Dreamer

Tom Selleck was born in Detroit but even though the family struggled, they eventually moved to California. Selleck’s mother was a housewife while his father was an executive and real estate investor – it was Tom’s parents who taught him how to maintain a respectable work ethic.

Not The NBA

While Selleck was working as a model, he was on a basketball scholarship at the University of Southern California. Selleck obviously played for the USC Trojans men’s basketball team. Furthermore he was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity and the Trojan Knights. While studying to earn his degree in Business Administration, it was a drama coach who recommended Selleck try his hand at acting. So he began to study acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse, under Milton Katselas.

My Country

From 1967 to 1973, Tom Selleck served in the United States Army in the 160th Infantry Regiment of the California Army National Guard. His rank when he finished his service was Sergeant.

Influence

72 year Selleck said that when he turned 70 two years ago, that it was quite a defining moment in his life. In a recent interview, Selleck admitted that the first time he really felt like a grown man was after his father sadly passed away in 2001. “I had had a lot of leadership positions, I had been in the military…but you know, in my case, when my father died, I go, “There’s nobody to go to for fatherly advice. You’re on your own, pal,” said Selleck.

Only The Start

Tom Selleck got his start in Hollywood as a model and it was his drama coach and college fraternity brothers who encouraged him to participate on the 60’s show, The Dating Game. Overnight, Selleck really did become something of a sensation so much so that Pepsi called him to do a commercial! This is just one of the many commercials Selleck would star in in his life.

Opportunity

Tom Selleck’s minor television roles caught the attention of Twentieth Century Fox – who were eager to sign him on. Especially the talent department, they really didn’t him going anywhere else and Selleck grabbed the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and was at training class the very next day.

Soap Opera Kid

Early 70’s and Tom Selleck lands a minor role as Jed Andrews on the soap opera The Young and the Restless. Little did we know that art would imitate life – considering all the love triangles that revolved around Selleck’s on-screen character.

Beginnings

At 35, Tom Selleck finally landed his big break when he was cast as the main lead on Magnum P.I.. Selleck even relocated to Hawaii but a writers’ strike delayed shooting the pilot for six months. Meanwhile Selleck worked as a handyman for his landlord at just $7 an hour to make ends meet.

Magnum P.I.

Speaking of his big breakthrough, Magnum P.I. was on air for eight seasons, producing 163 episodes. Of course the hours were grueling but the show opened so many doors for Selleck in his career. Heck, his work on Magnum earned him the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1984. Who could ever forget that mustache, Hawaiian t-shirts, Detroit Tigers cap, and the Colt Model 1911A1 .45 ACP Caliber pistol? No one, that’s who.

They See Me Rollin’

So producers encountered a slight problem when casting Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum – his tall frame. Normally this is nothing to think about but because they had a vision of Magnum driving around in a Porsche, Selleck’s height meant he wouldn’t fit in such a hot ride. Therefore the classic red Ferrari came into the picture and the rest is history.

Nothing But Respect

Larry Manetti is a co-star of Selleck’s from their Magnum days and in 1996, Manetti published his memoir Aloha Magnum. In his memoir, he had nothing but WONDERFUL things to say about Tom Selleck – particularly his work ethic even when shooting in the hot Hawaiian sun, Selleck’s numerous work with charities, and his willingness to stick up for the show’s cast and crew.

Star!

Not surprisingly but Tom Selleck received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame back in 1986. Man, his Magnum days sure did propel his career in ways he probably didn’t think were even possible. If you’re a true fan then head over to 6925 Hollywood Blvd!

One, Two

Hard to imagine anyone but Tom Selleck as the lead in Magnum, P.I. but as it turns out, he actually was not the producers’ first choice! That honor was awarded to Kevin Dobson, but he turned it down.

A Miss

First of all, Selleck was around for a long time before his big break. However once he was cast as Thomas Magnum in Magnum, P.I., the producers wanted to keep him involved only on the show and nowhere else. Meaning that they did not release Selleck to work on any other projects! So when he was offered the role of Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark, he had no choice but to say no. And we all know what happened to Harrison Ford’s career once he claimed that title.

Swing And A Miss

Ahem, Selleck was actually asked to star opposite Julie Andrews in the 1982 film Victor/Victoria, but he was rather indecisive in making his decision, and by the time that he decided that he did want the part, he was already locked into his Magnum contract – the same onethat cost him the role of Indiana Jones.

Creative Team

Selleck had a pretty important impact on the creative team when it came to his character on Magnum P.I.. Apparently he suggested to tweak his character’s James Bondish-charming typecast charming into someone much more average and approachable. And it worked, the audience loved him.

First Wife

After dating the former model Jacqueline Ray for a year, the couple said “I do!” In that time, Selleck even adopted her son, Kevin. However after 11 years, they divorced. Although he is still in close contact with Kevin, his step-son.

A Superstar of It’s Own

When you talk about Tom Selleck, the first thing that comes to mind is his mustache of course. Don’t lie, you know it does. Over the years, it’s practically become his trademark – without it, he’s virtually unrecognizable.

Agree to Disagree

Even Tom Selleck gets mistaken for other actors but one in particular, “There was a time I could have been mistaken for Burt Reynolds. I had a mustache and so did he. But he was the number one star in the world, so there wasn’t really much confusion.” So humble.

Ay Baby

A year before Magnum went off air, Selleck starred in the comedy film Three Men and a Baby, alongside Steve Guttenberg and Ted Danson. Already he was a big of a legend thanks to his Magnum role but with this flick, he become Hollywood royalty. Furthermore that film was the biggest motion picture box office hit of the year, grossing over $170 million in the States.

Love Story

Seven years after Magnum P.I., Tom Selleck and Jillie Mack tied the knot. – when about a year later, their daughter Hannah was born. Currently the Selleck family lives in California on their 60 acre avocado farm.

Small Role

Jillie Mack (yes, Tom Selleck’s wife) had a small role on Magnum P.I. – small world. Mack appeared in an episode Rembrandt’s Girl which aired in the fourth season. However Mack isn’t the only Selleck family member to have appeared on the show, Tom’s parents also had a brief stint on Magnum P.I.

The Right

Granted not all celebrities are as open as Tom Selleck is when it comes to politics. In 2008, he heavily endorsed John McCain during his presidential bid and has since called himself as a ‘registered independent with a lot of libertarian leanings.’ Furthermore the Magnum P.I. star is a longtime member of the National Rifle Association (NRA) – in fact he’s a member of the Board of Directors and is also a public spokesman.

Neither Here Nor There

Despite his heavy involvement with politics, during the 2016 Presidential election, Selleck did not actually support either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, instead he chose to write the former Dallas Police Department Chief David Brown, saying he was deeply touched by the grace and leadership that Brown showed in the 2016 Dallas police shooting.

Cha-Ching

Since 1969, Tom Selleck has been an actor, who has appeared in over 50 film and television roles. Rightfully earning a Hollywood Walk of Fame star even. Considering all of this, the fact that his net worth is $25 million doesn’t make much sense. In fact, in recent Hollywood terms, it’s practically nothing.

Baywatch

Now it’s hard to imagine anyone but David Hasselhoff as Mitch Buchannon in the classic 90’s television series Baywatch – however it turns out that the Magnum P.I. star was actually offered the lead role long before it was presented to Hasselhoff. Now Selleck turned it down as he didn’t want to become a sex symbol. Huh.

Dr. Richard Burke

In the mid-90’s, Selleck portrayed one of greatest divorced ophthalmologists out there, Dr. Richard Burke on Friends. And as far as Monica’s boyfriends are ranked, Richard is either number one or number two, depending on who you ask. Moreover his 10 episodes on the show even earned him a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, not bad!

Frank Reagan

Since 2010, Tom Selleck has portrayed Police Commissioner Frank Reagan on the television drama series Blue Bloods. Now we should note that sometimes he gets confused for a real policeman when he’s wearing his uniform – it’s the mustache, folks. There are even times when he’s saluted by real NYPD officers as he walks down the street. #classy

Dad Jokes

Donnie Whalberg spoke about his co-star Selleck, but primarily his humor,” He can [be funny], yes, usually after he makes sure everyone understands what’s important. It would feel like Christmas on a Tuesday night in August when my dad started telling jokes and it’s the same thing with Tom, when he starts with his oddball jokes and his weird rhymes that he tells from 1930 that are so funny. Everybody feels so much lighter and happier.

An Affair To Remember

In case you didn’t know it, Tom Selleck was a total heartthrob and long before he got hitched, he dated a few starlets including the former model Marie Helvin. Marie talks about Selleck in her autobiography, and how their fling almost destroyed her marriage, “On one of my visits to Hawaii, the whole place was in uproar because Tom Selleck was there filming Magnum, P.I. We met – and I found myself very attracted to him…Then Tom Selleck came to London. Our affair had been very much a Hawaiian fling, but I still agreed to have dinner with him and go back to his hotel… The next morning, I sent him a letter – by bike – saying that my marriage was breaking up and we ought to call it off. A week or so later, he happened to be taken backstage at the musical Cats, where he met his wife-to-be.”

Tom and Mimi

Before actress Mimi Rogers married Tom Cruise in 1990, she and Tom Selleck dated for about a year. Rogers was freshly divorced from her first husband and Selleck was around – one thing lead to another and well, they had quite a blissful year.

Grilled By Rosie

In 1999, Rosie O’Donnell invited Tom Selleck as a guest on her show but things took an uncomfortable turn. Selleck came on the show to promote his film The Love Letter but was instead grilled about his position on gun ownership. After numerous pestering questions from O’Donnell, Selleck replied, “It’s your show, and you can talk about it after I leave.”

Killers

2010 is Selleck’s most recent film role, alongside Katherine Heigl and Ashton Kutcher in the action comedy film Killers. When casting, Kutcher (who also produced the film) was determined to find someone intimidating to play the part of Mr. Kornfeldt. Kutcher said, “I call Mr. Kornfeldt ‘Sir’ in the script a lot,” he said. “And I was thinking, ‘Who am I going to call Sir?'” Who’s a bigger guy, who’s got an intimidating thing, but doesn’t have to try to be intimidating?” Enter Tom Selleck, ladies and gents.

A Break

During filming, Selleck was overcome with stress in order to find a successful work-life balance. Long hours and days on set meant he wasn’t home enough, so when his daughter Hannah was born, Selleck took a break. It was crucial for him to be home with his family in this time.

Reasons Reasons

Closer Weekly recently interviewed Selleck and he spoke further about why he wanted to leave Magnum, “Magnum, P.I. went to 163 shows and We still had ground to cover, and I wasn’t tired of it. I was tired from it because I was in every shot.” Which is why starring in Blue Bloods is so ideal for him, he’s not in every shot so he isn’t working every single day.

Words of Wisdom

While Tom Selleck has been married twice, it doesn’t matter because the second time around turned out to be forever. For about 30 years, he’s been married to Jillie Mack and recently he spoke about the key to a successful marriage, “It’s important to nurture your marriage..I think wanting time away from work has been good for that.”

I Do

In 1987, Selleck and his wife absolute shocked fans and entertainment reporters when they secretly said “I do”. Selleck’s brother, Bob, had arranged everything in the 24-hour wedding chapel in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. In fact, it was all done under the aliases “Tom Jenkins” and “Suzie Mark.” Furthermore the minister didn’t even know the couple’s true identity until just minutes before the service, and Selleck only had Polaroid snapshots taken of the entire wedding so that photos from negatives couldn’t then be leaked to the press.

My Daughter, Hannah

Not surprisingly, one of the most important things to Tom Selleck is his daughter, Hannah. Even as a little girl, she grew up out of the spotlights and as a result, she developed a passion for horses. In fact the 28-year-old equestrian takes after dad when it comes to hard work, something Tom easily sees. While Hannah has done a bit of modeling, it’s been either for her friends or her sponsors.

Encouragement

Unlike other celebrities, Hannah’s upbringing was different, she didn’t go to all the raging parties and grow to be a socialite – instead her parents encouraged her to pursue what she is passionate about. And what Hannah is most passionate about is horses. “As a kid they tried to raise me as normally as possible given my dad’s line of work. Those horses have been a great way for me to have my own accomplishments outside of whatever my parents had done,” Hannah commented about her parents.

Farm Life

Hannah’s passion for horses has really transformed her into a star of her own making, “I have a small breeding program in California where I’m developing young horses to bring along and sell. It’s a business that so far has been really great and a great experience. It is a very expensive sport, so that is why my dad encouraged and invested in this breeding operation. They have been very supportive. The prices of horses have become astronomical. So that’s why it’s so much more rewarding to bring a horse along on your own,” Hannah explained in an interview.

How Far?

No one can deny that Tom Selleck loves his farm so it’s not far fetched to think that he would do a lot to keep it running smoothly. But the question is, how far would he go? Apparently when California was hit a serious drought a couple years back, Selleck did something he shouldn’t have. Essentially, he allegedly hired a truck to transfer about $1.4 million worth of water from a hydrant to keep his avocado farm running. This action caught up to him shortly after…

On The Other Side

Tom Selleck was presented with a lawsuit in 2015 by the Calleguas Municipal Water District. What was he accused of? Basically the claim was that Selleck was illegally transporting water over district boundaries and back to his avocado farm. Moreover a private investigator uncovered a tanker truck from a neighboring district bound for Selleck’s farm – which was found to be repeatedly filling up at a fire hydrant. District officials went on to claim that Selleck obtained the water from a hydrant over 12 times in two years and that they had sued once a cease and desist order was ignored.

Settlement

So the private investigator that was hired by the water district cost about $22,000 to fully document the alleged misconduct. When the settlement came, Selleck paid $21,000 – which was just enough to cover those investigative costs.

Stepson Woes

Back when Tom Selleck and his first wife, Jacqueline Ray, were married, he adopted her son, Kevin. Ever since, the two have remained very close and Kevin deeply admires his step-dad. Unfortunately Kevin’s issues as a teenager have followed him into adulthood – recently his financial problems and failed music career has only hardened his mood.

Raspberry Kiss

In 1993, Selleck guest-starred on the late night The Chevy Chase Show on Fox – as a skit, he asked to be awarded the 1992 Worst Supporting Actor Razzie award for his portrayal as King Ferdinand of Spain in Christopher Columbus: The Discovery. When he was presented the Razzie on air, Selleck made light of it all and even asked the studio audience to “blow me a raspberry.” Fun fact: that made Selleck the third person in Razzie history to have voluntarily accepted one of the Worst Achievements in Film statuettes.

Heart of Gold

During the 8th and final season of Magnum, P.I., Universal Studios presented him with a bonus of $350,000, which he spent on extravagant gifts, like Rolex watches, Porsches, but most noteworthy were the $1,000 bonuses he gave to the entire cast and crew of Magnum, P.I..

Spike!

Bet you didn’t know that Tom Selleck is an accomplished indoor and beach volleyball player! Yup, you read that right. In fact, he plays as the outside hitter position for the Outrigger Canoe Club in Honolulu. A teammate of his said in the 2011 issue of Volleyball USA magazine, “Tom was a great teammate, appreciative of being included with such a talented and experienced group, practicing and playing hard when his Magnum schedule permitted…. He was very patient with all of us, and we relished the big crowds that replaced the usual sparse number of players’ friends and spouses at the national tourney matches.”

Say It Ain’t So

The unthinkable happened in 1997 – Tom Selleck shaved off his trademark mustache! For the film In & Out and since then, he’s pretty much kept it around for most stage and screen work. Unless it was necessary to remove it of course.

Broadway

In 2001, for two months Selleck was the lead role of Murray in the Broadway revival of Herb Gardner’s comedic play A Thousand Clowns. Now the critics were uniformly negative about Selleck’s performance, but they compared it unfavorably to the performance of Jason Robards, Jr., who won awards in the 60’s for playing the same character. However the playwright, Gardner, said he prefers Selleck’s portrayal over Robards, stating that “Selleck was the way he had always envisioned Murray.”

Changes

Since 2005, Selleck has been portraying Jesse Stone, a transplanted lawman, in a series of made-for-TV movies based on Robert B. Parker’s novels. As of late, the series consists of nine films and recently Selleck began producing episodes for the series. Actually the film five, Jesse Stone: Thin Ice, was not an adaptation from the novels but an original story created by Selleck.

Commercials

Not that we’re surprised but Selleck has starred in a lot of commercials, for Right Guard, AT&T, Florida’s Natural orange juice, and American Advisors Group (AAG). Seriously though, it’s probably the mustache.

Outdoorsman

As an avid outdoorsman, marksman, and firearms collector, Selleck was keen to star in Western films. As a result, he starred in flicks like The Sacketts, The Shadow Riders, Quigley Down Under, and Crossfire Trail.

Good Reason

Back in 1980, Selleck was asked in an interview why he refused a cameo in the film adaptation Magnum P.I., he said, “I tell you what worries me — because I love “Magnum” and we have loyal fans — is they take these TV show titles, and they buy them and they spend $100 million on special effects, and then they make fun of them and trivialize it. Then they try and get the actor who used to be in it to do some ridiculous cameo to prove to the audience that it’s OK. And I will not do that.”

Honor

Oh man, it’s not hard to believe this but Selleck was inducted into the…wait for it…International Mustache Hall of Fame in 2015! Of course, the inaugural class in the category Film and Television.

I’ll Be Back

So not only did he miss out on Indiana Jones but also the title role in The Terminator back in 1984. And yes, again because of his commitment to Magnum, P.I..

The First

Whoa – back on the date of August 11, 1997, Tom Selleck was THE first celebrity guest to have appeared on The View. How crazy.

My Sign

As Selleck was born on January, he’s an Aquarius. And when you’re an Aquarius, some of your more positive qualities include truthfulness, curious, affectionate, frank, and imaginative. Huh.

Awards, Awards

While on Magnum, P.I., Selleck won an an Emmy and a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama Series. Moreover he also went on to earn four People’s Choice Awards, four Emmy nominations, and six Golden Globe nominations.

Voice Over

Now Selleck has also done some narrative works, primarily with the series North America, a natural history documentary. His voice adds a touch of life to the overall series and enhances the storytelling flow.

Helping Hand

Tom Selleck is an avid philanthropist, no really, he is. Get ready for this – he’s a board member of The Joseph & Edna Josephson Institute of Ethics; advisory board member for the Character Counts Coalition; is a spokesman for the National Fatherhood Initiative; is also a committee member of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; and he is actively a part of the Student/Sponsor Partnership Program in New York City. But there’s so much more!

Female Sequel Series

Recently, thanks to Eva Longoria coming on as the executive producer, a spin-off that has an all-female cast is in the works. It’ll follow Magnum’s daughter, Lily, as she comes to Hawaii to takes over her father’s firm. Works for me!

A Spin

Oh man, that classy Ferrari 308 that was driven by Selleck on Magnum PI was recently up for sale this year at an Arizona auction. The asking price was $250,000 and it even came with a certificate of authentication (yes really to prove that Selleck used to drive it). Lastly, it sold for $181,500.

Classy

Selleeck’s, or rather Magnum’s, iconic Hawaiian shirt is in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

Friends

His character of Dr. Richard Burke actually ranks as the third best guest character on Friends. We’re not surprised!

Las Vegas

In 2007, he joined the television drama Las Vegas as A.J. Cooper, the new owner of the Montecito Casino. Moreover this was actually Selleck’s first regular role on a drama series since Magnum.

Character

Because of his outstanding character and ethic, he was awarded an honorary doctorate degree from Pepperdine University in 2000.

Tigers

Since his childhood, he’s been an avid supporter of the Detroit Tigers. At one point, he was even a minority owner of the team.

Memorial Fund

Back in February 2009, Selleck even joined the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund as the national spokesman for the new Education Center that was being built on the National Mall.

I Like It

During an interview in 2002, Selleck was asked about his career, he said that he really likes the fact that his character on Blue Bloods and the rest of the Reagan family members are visibly practicing Catholics, while he himself is not very religious.