Tom Selleck’s Early Career

Tom Selleck was born on Jan. 29, 1945 in Detroit, Michigan. After attending college at USC on a full basketball scholarship — while majoring in business administration — his acting career caught him by surprise.

“It is really the story of an accidental career,” he told people in 2024. “I’d never taken an acting class. I had no training, no desire.”

His first job saw him as a basketball player in a Pepsi commercial before he was cast as “Bachelor No. 2” on The Dating Game (above).

Tom Selleck on ‘The Young and the Restless’

He later appeared on The Young and the Restless from 1974 to 1975 as Jed Andrews, the love interest of Jaime Lyn Bauer’s Lorie Brooks.

Selleck’s resume became full in the 1970s with appearances in Western movies and small roles on television shows like Bracken’s World, Marcus Welby, M.D. and The Rockford Files.

Tom Selleck on ‘Magnum, P.I.’

Everything changed in 1980 when he landed the breakthrough Emmy-winning role of Thomas Magnum on Magnum, P.I.

While the show made him a household name, Selleck recently shared that he “didn’t like” that initial spotlight.

“It was really, I don’t know, a lot to adjust to, I think,” he said on an episode of Where Everybody Knows Your Name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson (sometimes). He went on to explain that filming the show in Hawaii rather than L.A. helped — “it was a blessing.”

Tom Selleck’s First people cover

In 1982 Selleck graced the cover of people for the first time as “Magnum, P.I.‘s sexy star.”

For the story, he opened up about why his love life lacked “Hawaiian punch” following his separation from his first wife Jacqueline Ray.

“I’m self-protective,” he said. “One of my nightmares would be to get heavily involved with somebody while I’m still trying to figure out what’s going on in my life.”

He also explained that the attention that came along with his rising star power was another obstacle in the love department.

“It’s very fatiguing to know that everything you do, all day, is being photographed,” he explained. “I’m not saying it’s a cross to bear, it’s just not a very easy adjustment.”

Tom Selleck on the Big Screen

During his eight year tenure as Magnum, Selleck also landed one of his most memorable big screen roles alongside Ted Danson and Steve Guttenberg in 1987’s Three Men and a Baby.

Tom Selleck Marries Jillie Mack

Selleck met Jillie Mack in the 1980s while she was performing as Rumpleteazer in a West End production of Cats. He saw the show several times while in town filming Lassiter and the two began to date. “They had dinner one night and it went on from there,” Mack’s agent told people.

The couple wed in 1987 in Lake Tahoe, Nevada and weeks later stepped out as newlyweds at the Emmy Awards (seen here). Not long after that, Selleck quit Magnum and the couple moved to a ranch in Ventura, California.

Tom Selleck as a Dad

The following year, Mack and Selleck welcomed daughter Hannah Margaret Selleck, seen here with Dad as a little girl.

Selleck also is a dad to Kevin, Ray’s son, whom he adopted while they were married.

Tom Selleck’s Love of Sports

Over the years Selleck has gone back to his athletic roots and taken part in the Hollywood Stars celebrity baseball game. In 1991, he suited up in Dodgers blue and white.

Tom Selleck on Broadway

Selleck made his first and only Broadway appearance in 2001 when he joined the cast of A Thousand Clowns.

Tom Selleck on ‘Friends’

In 1996, Selleck stepped into the role of Dr. Richard Burke on Friends. He appeared on less than a dozen episodes of the show but made a mark as one of Monica’s most memorable — and impactful — love interests. His final appearance on the show came in 2000 when Monica and Chandler get engaged.

Tom Selleck on ‘Blue Bloods’

In 2010 Selleck began his 14 season run as New York Police Commissioner Frank Reagan. Though the show came to an end in 2024, with the designation of being the second-longest-running scripted series on CBS (following NCIS).

“After 15 years, it’s hard. It’s hard to let go because coming to work was a joy,” Selleck said of the show’s end.

Tom Selleck Today

In May 2024, Selleck released his memoir You Never Know, but hasn’t been on screen since Blue Bloods ended.

While he recently joked that there are not really “offers pouring in,” he said he’d be interested in working with Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan and Sam Elliott.

“A good Western’s always on my list,” he said. “I miss that; I want to sit on a horse again.”

Another project on his radar is returning to the role of detective Jesse Stone — a character he’s played nearly 10 times across several TV movies.

“It would be an interesting challenge because Jesse is older now,” he said. “There’ve been quite a few years between shows. That doesn’t mean he isn’t a viable character. Everywhere I go one of the things I get asked is, ‘When can I see another Jesse Stone?’”