Rare Photos of Tom Selleck Young—From ‘Magnum, P.I.’ to ‘Blue Bloods’: A Look Back
Thomas Magnum, Jesse Stone and Frank Reagan are all monikers for legendary actor Tom Selleck, who has been one of the entertainment industry’s heartthrobs for over four decades. Whether you know him from his memorable projects or you recognize him from that mustache, Tom Selleck is a name you won’t soon forget.
The actor got his big break in 1980 when he scored the lead role in the hit drama series, Magnum, P.I., but Selleck’s path to acting was a bit different than most. He initially intended a sports career, having been a basketball player on a scholarship at the University of Southern California while majoring in business. But when a drama teacher at his school suggested he try acting, Selleck gave it a whirl.
He first appeared as a contestant on The Dating Game in 1967 when he was a senior in college, which led to a few commercials and minor roles. His first credited part was in an episode of the TV show Lancer in 1969.
Over the next decade, Selleck built up his resume, acting steadily and appearing in shows such as Bracken’s World (1969-1970), Marcus Welby, M.D. (1974-1975), Charlie’s Angels (1976) and The Rockford Files (1978-1979). He also booked roles in movies like The Movie Murderer (1970), Terminal Island (1973) and Returning Home (1975).
“I had an accidental career,” Selleck shared in an interview. “I did The Dating Game and something else and somebody saw me—I had never studied acting in my life or thought about it or wanted it.”
Then in 1980, everything changed when Selleck was offered the role of Thomas Magnum in Magnum, P.I. And while the series became a massive hit and launched Selleck’s career, he wasn’t all that thrilled about landing the role.
“I got assigned a show called Magnum,” Selleck recalled of his days as a Universal contract player. “And I have to say this: Glen Larson wrote it. And Glen was a really good guy and became a friend and was a gentleman all his life to me, but I really didn’t like his shows. I hated it. It was very James Bond-like… I had done six unsold pilots by then, and nothing had ever been on the air. And I just said I won’t do it, which was kind of a big risk.”
Not only did the series launch Selleck’s career, but it also solidified him as a pop culture icon and gave him hunk status. While Thomas Magnum was investigating crimes in Hawaii, Selleck was becoming a star.
“I knew I was about the same actor I was a year before I got Magnum than when Magnum went on the air,” Selleck shared. “They just made it bigger than life and all this hunky stuff and everything else. It was not something I was ever that comfortable with. But it’s OK. People say it goes with the territory, and it does. But the people who usually say that haven’t been in the territory.”
Towards the end of his run on Magnum, P.I., Selleck scored a role in the film Three Men and a Baby (1987), alongside Cheers star Ted Danson and Police Academy‘s Steve Guttenberg. The movie was so successful—becoming the biggest box office hit of the year—that it was followed up by the sequel, Three Men and a Little Lady (1990).
“That was real,” Selleck told ABC News about his connection with Danson and Guttenberg. “We just hit it off, we had a great time.”
Later on, he booked the role of Dr. Richard Burke in Friends and although he only appeared in 10 episodes, his character was pivotal for Monica’s (Courteney Cox) storyline. Richard was one of Monica’s main love interests in the earlier seasons before she found her way to Chandler.
“It was a great place to work,” Selleck shared about his time on the sitcom. “The actors were grateful for the opportunity and they were all as good as you can get.”
In 2005, he began starring in the television movie series Jesse Stone, which produced nine entries over the course of 10 years. The made-for-TV movies were very successful and became one of Selleck’s most beloved roles. But one of his most notable and recent parts is that of Police Commissioner Frank Reagan on Blue Bloods. The series began in 2010 and aired until 2024, becoming one of the highest-rated shows on CBS during its run.
“We loved the show,” the actor said about he and his Blue Bloods co-stars. “It was a blessing for 15 years. I mean, we had two families. We had the Reagan family that we portrayed, and quite quickly, we had this family of actors who all actually liked each other, which never happens in television. So it was an enormous blessing. ”