‘My Life Passed Before My Eyes’: Blue Bloods Star Recalls Tom Selleck’s Parting Message

Blue Bloods‘ series finale is an emotional event for the cast and their long-time fans. Donnie Wahlberg assures audiences the episode will be bittersweet for audiences, knowing it’s the Reagan family’s last get-together.

Donnie Wahlberg admitted he was already emotional before they filmed the last dinner scene for Blue Bloods. The show’s most endearing moments happened during the Reagan family dinners, which have since become the anticipated scene of every episode. Now that Blue Bloods is about to end, Wahlberg said their last ensemble scene was heartbreaking for everyone. “I didn’t make it through; I was doomed,” he told Variety. “But when Tom [Selleck] started saying it, literally, my life passed before my eyes.” Wahlberg confirmed that Selleck was the first to break the heavy silence when that scene wrapped up.

Selleck read “Love Is Not All,” a poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay, as a parting message for his co-stars. Written during the Great Depression, the poem challenges the romanticized notion of love’s role in humanity’s survival; though inessential, love’s intangible worth transcends what’s ephemeral. “I’ve always loved it,” Selleck asserted. He also recalled reading the poem to Tyne Daly (Judging Amy) in 1982, when she appeared as a guest star on Magnum P.I. The Blue Bloods ensemble couldn’t hold back their tears, and everyone was crying before Selleck finished reading the sonnet.

Donnie Wahlberg Remembers Tom Selleck’s Enduring Influence

“I was listening to his voice mesmerize this room and thinking about what a magical journey, and what a gift that this boy, who didn’t know where his next meal was going to come from half the time, in this scrappy family, who grew up watching this man on TV, is sitting next to him, sharing this magical moment of his wisdom and grace,” Wahlberg added. “I couldn’t turn off the tears for another probably two days!” He played Selleck’s eldest son for 14 years and 14 seasons of Blue Bloods, which revolved around the Reagan family’s relationships since day one.

Selleck said they kept their familial bonds even when the camera wasn’t rolling. Hinting they touched on heated topics at the dinner table in between takes, he revealed how everyone chose to be civil and professional. “They don’t all meld with each other just because they’re family. I think there was always a respect,” he said. “I can only answer for me but blowing your own horn about your own personal issue… why do you want to piss off half the country? We’re actors.” He confirmed the show did tackle political issues, but the approach was never sensational.

“We dealt with a lot of issues on both sides, and we’re proud of that, but we didn’t rip them from the headlines, as some shows do,” he explained. “I honestly have to say that I’m not sure Frank Reagan and I vote the same way all the time, and that’s a good thing when you embrace those points of view.”