Tom Selleck facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tom Selleck
Selleck at Paleyfest in 2014
Born	Thomas William Selleck (1945-01-29) January 29, 1945 (age 80) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Education	Los Angeles Valley College University of Southern California (withdrew)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1965–present
Political party	Independent
Spouse(s)	Jacqueline Ray ​ ​ (m. 1971; div. 1982)​ Jillie Mack ​ (m. 1987)​
Children	2
Military service
Service/branch	California Army National Guard
Years of service	1967–1973
Rank	Sergeant
Unit	Company C, 1st Battalion, 160th Infantry

Thomas William Selleck (born January 29, 1945) is an American actor. He is famous for playing private investigator Thomas Magnum in the TV show Magnum, P.I. from 1980 to 1988. For this role, he won an Emmy Award in 1985.

From 2010 to 2024, Selleck played NYC Police Commissioner Frank Reagan in the TV series Blue Bloods. He also starred as police chief Jesse Stone in nine TV movies from 2005 to 2015.

In movies, Selleck played Peter Mitchell in Three Men and a Baby (1987) and its sequel Three Men and a Little Lady (1990). He has been in over 50 other films and TV shows. These include Quigley Down Under, Mr. Baseball, and Lassiter. He also had important roles in TV shows like Friends (as Dr. Richard Burke) and The Rockford Files.

Selleck served in the California Army National Guard from 1967 to 1973. He reached the rank of sergeant.

Early Life and Education

Thomas William Selleck was born in Detroit, Michigan, on January 29, 1945. His mother was Martha Selleck and his father, Robert Dean Selleck, was a real estate developer. Tom has an older brother, Robert, and two younger siblings, Martha and Daniel.

His family moved to Sherman Oaks, California, in 1948. He finished Grant High School in 1962. Then he went to Los Angeles Valley College.

Selleck is 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) tall. He transferred to the University of Southern California to play for the USC Trojans men's basketball team. He also played baseball as a pitcher and designated hitter. While studying business, a drama coach suggested he try acting. He left university in his senior year to study acting.

Military Service

During the Vietnam War, Tom Selleck joined the California Army National Guard. He served from 1967 to 1973. He was part of Company C, 1st Battalion, 160th Infantry. He achieved the rank of sergeant.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting in Show Business

Magnum, P.I. publicity photo, 1980

Selleck first appeared on TV in 1965 on The Dating Game. He also appeared in many commercials for products like Pepsi-Cola.

He started his acting career with small parts in movies like Myra Breckinridge and Coma. He also had a repeating role as private investigator Lance White in The Rockford Files.

Selleck loves the outdoors and collecting firearms. These interests helped him get roles as cowboys in Western films. He starred in The Sacketts in 1979 and The Shadow Riders in 1982. Quigley Down Under is one of his most famous Western movies.

Becoming a Star with Magnum, P.I.

Selleck's biggest role was as Thomas Magnum in Magnum, P.I.. Because of this show, he had to turn down the role of Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark. That role went to Harrison Ford instead.

Selleck on the set of Magnum in 1984

In Magnum, P.I., Selleck played a former U.S. Navy SEAL officer. Magnum became a private investigator living in Hawaii. The show ran for 8 seasons and 163 episodes, from 1980 to 1988. Selleck won an Emmy Award in 1984 for his acting in the series.

He became famous for his mustache, a Hawaiian shirt, and a Detroit Tigers baseball cap. Magnum drove a Ferrari 308 GTS in the show.

During the Magnum years, he also starred in the movie Three Men and a Baby (1987). This movie was a huge hit.

Later TV and Film Roles

In 1990, Selleck starred in the Western film Quigley Down Under. He considers this one of his best films. In the 1990s, he also appeared in Three Men and a Little Lady, Mr. Baseball, and In & Out.

In the mid-1990s, Selleck played Richard Burke on the TV series Friends. Richard was Monica Geller's older boyfriend. This role earned him an Emmy Award nomination in 2000.

He also did voice-overs for AT&T commercials in the 1990s. In 1998, he starred in a CBS sitcom called The Closer.

His most recent cowboy roles were in the 2001 movie Crossfire Trail and the 2003 film Monte Walsh. In 2001, Selleck performed in a Broadway play called A Thousand Clowns.

Selleck at the 2010 Summer Session of the Television Critics Association

In 2004, Selleck played General Dwight D. Eisenhower in the TV movie Ike: Countdown to D-Day. He was praised for his calm portrayal of Eisenhower.

Since 2005, Selleck has starred as lawman Jesse Stone in a series of TV movies. He also produces these films. The fifth film, Jesse Stone: Thin Ice, was an original story by Selleck.

In 2007, he joined the cast of the NBC drama Las Vegas. He played A. J. Cooper, the new owner of the Montecito Casino.

Since 2010, he has starred as Frank Reagan in the CBS series Blue Bloods. He plays the Police Commissioner in a family of law enforcement officers. The show is filmed in New York City and is in its final season as of 2024.

Personal Life and Hobbies

Selleck and wife Jillie Joan Mack in 1989

Tom Selleck was married to model Jacqueline Ray from 1971 to 1982. He adopted her son, Kevin Shepard. Kevin later became a drummer for the band Tonic. In 1987, Selleck married Jillie Joan Mack. They have one daughter, Hannah, born in 1988.

Selleck and his family live on a 60-acre avocado ranch in Hidden Valley, California. He enjoys working on his ranch. He has said he does not use text messages or email.

Selleck is a skilled indoor and beach volleyball player. His son Kevin also played volleyball at USC.

He is a big fan of ice hockey and the Los Angeles Kings. He also loves baseball and was once a part-owner of the Detroit Tigers. In 1986, he even hit a home run during batting practice with the Tigers. For his role in the movie Mr. Baseball, he practiced with the Tigers for three weeks.

Political Views

Senator Larry Craig, Selleck, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Senator Zell Miller at the 2005 NRA Annual Convention in Houston.

Tom Selleck has been a member of the board of directors for the National Rifle Association (NRA). He also served as a spokesman for the organization. He left the board in 2018 but remains a member.

Selleck describes himself as an "independent" voter with some "libertarian" ideas. In the 2016 presidential election, he did not support Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. Instead, he voted for former Dallas Police Chief David Brown.

Awards and Recognition

Selleck at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival

On April 28, 2000, Selleck received an honorary doctorate degree from Pepperdine University. This was for his good character and ethics. He is also a co-founder of the Character Counts Coalition.

He received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1986. In 1989, he received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement.

See also

In Spanish: Tom Selleck para niños