Tom Selleck, a name most associated with some of the most popular TV shows of all time, turned 80 on January 29. He has been in the public eye for over 45 years with appearances on TV, film, commercials and talk shows. The legend made a strong debut in a recurring role on The Rockford Files as private investigator Lance White.
He had appeared in many prior projects such as The Dating Game, the film Coma and in ads for Salem cigarettes, a Right Guard ad, a Dubonnet spot with fellow TV icon Farrah Fawcett and one for Revlon’s Chaz cologne. Before launching into stardom he was cast as the lead in the Western film titled The Sacketts with fellow future star, known for his cowboy characters, Sam Elliott. Selleck reached legendary status, portraying Thomas Magnum in the hit series Magnum P.I. throughout the 1980s. The show lasted for 8 seasons and had 162 episodes. It also had many crossover episodes with fellow popular TV shows. The show was created by fellow veteran and Marine Donald P. Bellisario. Selleck served in the California National Guard from 1967 to 1973 as an infantryman and earned the rank of sergeant.
Selleck had to pass up on an opportunity to play Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark because of his contract with Magnum P.I. and network. He stated in 2017 for the BUILD series :
“Look, I made a deal with Magnum, and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I’m proud that I lived up to my contract, and some people said, ‘You’ve got to get into a car and drive into a brick wall and get injured and get out of Magnum and do [Raiders].’ I said, ‘I gotta look my mom and dad in the eye, and we don’t do that,’ so I did Magnum… That’s not so bad, is it?”
The character of Magnum is that of a Navy SEAL veteran from the Vietnam War who works as a private investigator in Hawaii. He enlists the help of his Vietnam buddies Rick and T.C. The series made stars out of all of its cast, especially the Ferrari 308 GTS. The show covered various topics and showed veterans in a positive light, which was a first for its time after the Vietnam War. Magnum and his cronies were good guys who were level-headed and did the right thing. The show spawned a reboot that ran for five seasons with 96 episodes.
Selleck did a lot of film work during the 1980s and 1990s which includes roles in Lassiter, Runaway, Three Men and a Baby, Three Men and a Little Lady, Quigley Down Under, Mr. Baseball, An Innocent Man and many more. He had a recurring role in the popular show Friends as Richard who develops a relationship with Courtney Cox’s character Monica. He did a multi-episode run with a character arc which helped introduce him to a younger generation. He continued his ad work for companies like AT&T and acting work in shows such as Las Vegas, the made-for-TV movie series Jesse Stone and Frank Reagan in the long-running Blue Bloods series. The latter just went off the air last year after a 14-season run with 293 episodes. He has won many awards for his acting, including the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1985. He was nominated for it five times and won once. He loves baseball, hockey, firearms and working outside on his ranch. The home he lives in was formerly owned by Rat Pack star Dean Martin. He has been married to Jillie Mack since 1987 and has two children.
