As Blue Bloods’ Detective 1st Grade Abigail Baker, Abigail Hawk appeared in more than 250 episodes of the long-running CBS hit starring Tom Selleck. She admits it’s been hard to close the door on a character she feels so deeply connected to, the costars who became her “second family” and the show that, quite literally, changed her life.
“I just love that Baker was never afraid of her words and decisions,” Abigail tells Closer. “She was fearless but respectful. She knew her value and worth, and I think, as women, that’s something we all struggle with. I will probably have impostor syndrome for the rest of my life!”
Abigail, 42, calls her years on Blue Bloods “a master class in acting,” both for the many excellent guest stars that appeared on the show, but also for her close work with Tom, who starred as Police Commissioner Frank Reagan.
“My favorite acting advice he gave me was to always have a secret,” she says. “I really love that because you can apply it universally. It makes your character interesting — and you don’t have to tell anybody the secret. The camera misses absolutely nothing, but when you have a secret, there is a little sparkle behind your eyes.”
Over the years, Tom became a close friend. “He is inherently shy, very humble, and so authentic as both a person and an actor. He made us all better,” says Abigail, who admired the veteran actor’s thoughtfulness.
“Some of my favorite conversations with him were when he talked about an issue, a social issue, a political issue, whatever,” she continues. “He always took the most left-wing news source, and then a right-wing news source, and read them both, researched the entire spectrum, and then made his decision based on all of that information. Yes, of course, he has his opinions, but they come from being very well traveled and having seen a lot of stuff in his 79 years.”
She confides that the Blue Bloods cast would have happily stayed for another season. “No one wanted this show to end,” says the actress, who adds there are so far no plans for any spinoff series. “The most likely scenario, unfortunately, is that this is the end of the road for these specific characters in this time frame. [Although] some executives have said there is potential for a spinoff or an extension.”
Abigail Hawk’s Special Character
A lot of Abigail’s life has changed since she first appeared on Blue Bloods in 2010. In some ways, she’s grown up on the series. “This show took up half of my adult life,” says the New York City-based actress and married mom of two boys. “I was 20 years old when I started. During the show’s run, I became a parent. I bought a house, and then I bought a second home in Maine. Now, I have an almost 13-year-old kid. I look at him every day, and I’m like, ‘Damn, I was pregnant with you like two seconds ago on the show.’”
