“Reflecting on Tom Selleck’s 2010 TV Guide Magazine Profile from ‘Blue Bloods'”
Over 14 Exciting Seasons: A Look Back at Tom Selleck’s 2010 TV Guide Magazine Interview on Blue Bloods
For nearly 14 years, TV Guide Magazine has chronicled the impressive journey of Blue Bloods on CBS, featuring exclusive photo shoots and behind-the-scenes visits. As we approach the show’s anniversary, we revisit one of our earliest interviews with Tom Selleck from Season 1, which premiered almost 14 years ago on September 24, 2010. Originally published in the October 18, 2010 issue, this Q&A highlights what Selleck felt was essential to share as audiences first discovered the series.
On the eve of a gripping Blue Bloods episode addressing a terrorist threat that pits the Reagan family—led by Selleck’s character, police chief Frank Reagan—against each other over racial profiling, the iconic actor reflected on his current and past roles.
Do you enjoy being part of a series?
Tom Selleck: I love the show. In a series, your character evolves from week to week. That’s a unique opportunity, and the challenge is to keep improving.
Your filming schedule requires traveling between Los Angeles and New York City. How is that working for you?
[Executive producer] Leonard Goldberg proposed, “Let’s say you’re working four days out of eight on an episode. We’ll group those days together.” This allows me about 10 days each month in L.A., which is wonderful for spending time with my wife and daughters.
Are you concerned that the premise—multiple family members in the same profession working on the same case—might become implausible?
Yes, that’s definitely something to consider. As we move forward, you might see storylines where Frank is involved in one plot, and his sons are in another.
Frank has a lot of dialogue, but he also has an air of mystery about him. Why is that?
Absolutely. He’s a widower, and he’s been through a lot—losing his wife five years before the series begins and his son just a year prior.
He sounds complex. Will we learn if Frank is part of some secret society of cops, the Blue Templars?
I’m not sure! The creators, Robin and Mitch, are quite protective of those details.
Is there any background on how his wife passed away?
Not yet. I’ve tried to get the writers to clarify it. Personally, I think it could be either a tragic illness or an accident.
And what’s the status of the Jesse Stone franchise? Is a series in the works?
In a sense, Jesse Stone is a series, but it consists of movies. The seventh one, Innocents Lost, is ready and likely to air in the spring to avoid conflict with Blue Bloods. If all goes well, we’ll shoot the eighth during the hiatus.
You’ve been linked to conservative causes for years. Is it just a coincidence that your character’s name is Frank Reagan?
I’ve actually been a registered Independent for 20 years, so the name is a coincidence. The show was originally titled Reagan’s Law. Ironically, I knew Ronald Reagan and his wife.
Will you ever reprise your role as Magnum?
I hear there’s talk of a movie. Universal holds the rights, but they haven’t reached out. If you were to poll people on who should play him, I’d likely come out on top. My concern is that studios often buy rights to franchises and then focus more on explosions than on the story. Magnum is significant—it’s recognized for positively portraying Vietnam veterans, and I’m proud of that.
This excerpt is from TV Guide Magazine’s special farewell issue for Blue Bloods. For a retrospective on the beloved series and insights into its final episodes, be sure to pick up the issue available at newsstands and online at BlueBloods2024.com.
