“Tom Selleck Reflects on a Fortunate Life, His Unexpected Career Path, and Four Decades with Jillie”
Tom Selleck gazes thoughtfully across the 63 acres of his Ventura County, California ranch, a property he acquired in 1988. Over the years, the land has seen significant changes, including droughts that ravaged the avocado trees and felled 25 century-old oaks. “It’s heartbreaking,” the 79-year-old actor reflects in this week’s cover story. “But with recent rains, the land is recovering, and new growth is flourishing.”
When Selleck returns from filming his long-running CBS series Blue Bloods in New York City every two weeks, he starts his days reading the newspaper and riding his ATV around the ranch to check on his wildflowers. “I’ve planted them over the years, and they bloom in cycles,” he says. “Watching them grow is a simple pleasure.”
Despite over five decades in Hollywood and mega-success with Magnum, P.I., which earned him an Emmy at age 35, Selleck remains content with his low-profile lifestyle. Known for his roles in films like High Road to China and Three Men and a Baby, as well as TV shows like Friends and Las Vegas, he has always avoided the spotlight and heartthrob hype. Now, he’s set to share his journey from struggling actor to TV icon in his new memoir, You Never Know, due out May 7.
Selleck, who admits to having been apprehensive about writing his memoir, describes it as a reflection on his “accidental career” and personal growth. “I didn’t plan on acting. My first job was in a Pepsi commercial, and I was a bachelor on The Dating Game,” he says. “I had no formal training or desire to act. It’s the story of an unexpected path.”
