“Tom Selleck Reflects on the Future of ‘Blue Bloods’: What’s Next for the Iconic Series”
It’s hard to surpass the sweeping view from the highest hill at Tom Selleck’s California ranch. At 79, the actor is certainly well-acquainted with what it means to be at the top.
For the past 14 years, Selleck has played the patriarch of the NYPD and a strong, sometimes stubborn family on the hit CBS show “Blue Bloods.” As the series nears its conclusion this year, Selleck has expressed significant pushback. When asked about the show’s ending, Selleck responded, “That’s an interesting question. I hope CBS realizes what they have. We’re the third-highest scripted show on broadcast, and we’re leading our night. The cast is eager to return, and we’re still delivering strong episodes. So, I’m holding out hope.”
Selleck’s career has seen its share of disputes with industry decision-makers. In the 1980s, he became a household name as Thomas Magnum in “Magnum, P.I.,” sporting a Detroit Tigers cap—a nod to his hometown.
Before Magnum, Selleck was an athlete at the University of Southern California. His academic performance was modest, but he found work in commercials for products like Ban Basic and Safeguard Soap.
In an interview, Selleck recalled, “You told yourself early on, going to auditions and interviews, you would literally say to yourself in the car, ‘You’re good enough, Tom.'”
“I’d say, ‘You are enough,’ but maybe ‘good enough’ would have helped too. I didn’t think of that at the time.”
Despite his self-affirmation, early roles didn’t quite meet expectations—neither his soap opera stint on “The Young and the Restless” nor the six TV pilots he tried.
Then came “Magnum, P.I.,” and simultaneously, an offer from Steven Spielberg for the role of Indiana Jones. Selleck recounted, “Steven gave me the script and said, ‘Read this and let me know if you like it. We want you for Indiana Jones.’ I got to page 8 in Steven’s office and thought, ‘Oh, ****, this is really good!’”
However, in a tale now part of Hollywood lore, Selleck had to turn down “Raiders of the Lost Ark” for “Magnum.” In his memoir “You Never Know,” out this week, Selleck details what he calls “the world series of disappointments” and how he came to terms with it. “You can see yourself as a victim, or just laugh and say, ‘That’s ironic,’” he said. “I had a great job lined up, whether ‘Raiders’ was part of it or not.”
“Magnum, P.I.,” featuring a former Navy SEAL turned private investigator, premiered in 1980 on CBS. Despite initial studio resistance to the Vietnam War elements, Selleck and his producer fought to keep them, and the show became a success.
One of its biggest fans was Frank Sinatra, who expressed a desire to appear on the show. “Larry Manetti came to me and said, ‘Frank wants to be on ‘Magnum’—but only if you call him.’ Sinatra wanted to be on the show immediately, and his only condition was to ‘beat somebody up.'”
“So, that was his request?” “Yep, that was Frank!”
Sinatra’s guest appearance on “Magnum” was his last acting role.
This was just the beginning of Selleck’s era as an ‘80s sex symbol, characterized by that unforgettable smile, charisma, and mustache.
