Although he’s best known for his role as Jamie Reagan on the CBS drama series Blue Bloods, Will Estes has actually been in the entertainment world for much of his 45 years. Born October 21, 1978 in Los Angeles, the actor has been working since childhood, making a bigger name for himself over time, particularly with the success — both critically and with viewers — of Blue Bloods.
The series, which sees Estes starring alongside Tom Selleck and Donnie Wahlberg, is about an American Irish-Catholic family, many members of which work in law enforcement and, as such, it’s just as much about the family dynamics as it is “the job.” And while he’s been with the show from its start in 2010, Estes has also starred in a number of other shows and movies, including American Dreams (2002 to 2005), U-571 (2000) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012).
Will Estes booked his first role in 1987 at age nine in the soap opera Santa Barbara, where he appeared in one episode. For a few years, the actor had small guest appearances in shows like Murphy’s Law (1989) and Baywatch (1992).
In 1989, he was cast in his breakout role on The New Lassie as Will McCullough, which earned him three Young Artist Award nominations. The actor stayed with the series until its conclusion in 1992.
Over the next few years, Estes appeared in a few major sitcoms — including Step by Step (1994), Full House (1995) and Boy Meets World (1996) — and a number of TV movies.
On top of that, he was a regular cast member on the Faye-Dunaway/Robert Urich sitcom It Had to Be You (1993), as Cory Hartman on the Kirk Cameron series Kirk (1995 to 1996), Tip Parker on the sci-fi sitcom Meego (1997), Sean Kelly on the Shelly Long/Robert Hays sitcom Kelly Kelly (1998), and as Will Malloy on the drama series Reunion (2005). There were also recurring roles on The Secret World of Alex Mack (six episodes in season 4, 1997 to 1998) and as Andrew Nayloss in five episodes of 7th Heaven (1999 to 2000).
In 2000, Estes booked his first major movie role with U-571 as the character Rabbit. The World War II film — a fictional account of the lives of World War II American submarine sailors — also stars Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton and Jon Bon Jovi. It ended up winning an Academy Award.
It was also on this set that Estes first met Jon Bon Jovi, who chose the young actor to star in his music video for the 2000 hit, “It’s My Life.” It features Estes as teenager Tommy, a name that is mentioned in the second verse of the song. Interestingly, the Youtube video for “It’s My Life” is the number one most-viewed Bon Jovi song on the platform.
Afterwards, Estes starred in films such as Terror Tract (2000), New Port South (2001) and May (2002). In the same year as the latter, he scored another TV series with the aforementioned American Dreams, starring alongside Brittany Snow.
Will Estes and Vanessa Ray in ‘Blue Bloods’ (2019)
moviestillsdb.com/CBSProductions
In 2010, Estes joined the cast of Blue Bloods as the youngest Reagan brother, Jamie. In the pilot of the series, Jamie becomes a New York police officer, just like his grandfather, father, and two brothers. Over his years on the show, Estes’ character grows and eventually becomes a detective for the NYPD. In the most recent season, he goes undercover and takes on a whole new look.
As for how it has been portraying a cop for 14 years, Estes says it’s offered challenges. “It’s just a tremendous responsibility. We’re playing characters on our show that are hopefully three dimensional or flawed, but are good guys. So, we’re telling it from that perspective.”
The actor’s Blue Bloods character is the son of Tom Selleck’s Police Commissioner Frank Reagan. Estes explained that Selleck “isn’t that different than the commissioner. [He] knows his character inside and out… You need to be on your toes when you work with him, which makes it a lot of fun.”
