Tom Selleck
A former college athlete and model, Selleck spent the 1970s in small roles before landing Thomas Magnum in 1980. Magnum, P.I. made him a mustachioed TV icon and won him an Emmy in 1984. The series' schedule famously forced him to turn down Indiana Jones, yet he parlayed his fame into film hits and a long second act as Frank Reagan on Blue Bloods.
Athlete Turned Actor
Thomas William Selleck was born January 29, 1945, in Detroit. A USC basketball scholarship athlete, he modeled and took small acting roles through the 1970s before his breakthrough.
Magnum Mania
Cast as Thomas Magnum in 1980, Selleck became a defining TV star of the decade, winning an Emmy in 1984. The role's demanding schedule famously cost him the part of Indiana Jones.
Enduring Career
Selleck scored film success with Three Men and a Baby and Quigley Down Under, then found a recurring TV audience on Friends. Since 2010 he has anchored the long-running police drama Blue Bloods as Frank Reagan.
Career Timeline
- 1945Born in Detroit, Michigan
- 1965Earns basketball scholarship to USC
- 1980Magnum, P.I. premieres on CBS
- 1984Wins Emmy for Magnum, P.I.
- 1987Three Men and a Baby tops the box office
- 1988Magnum, P.I. ends after eight seasons
- 1990Stars in Western Quigley Down Under
- 1996Recurs as Monica's boyfriend on Friends
- 2005Begins Jesse Stone TV movie series
- 2010Begins playing Frank Reagan on Blue Bloods
Biggest Hits
- Selleck had to pass on playing Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark because of his Magnum, P.I. commitment.
- His Thomas Magnum look-a mustache, aloha shirt, and Ferrari 308-became one of 1980s TV's most recognizable images.
Portrait: Alan Light · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons