Tom Selleck’s been preparing to say goodbye to Blue Bloods (which is returning for its final episodes amid the 2024 TV schedule). But, at the same time, he’s been looking back at his time on another show that changed his life -- Magnum P.I. Not long ago, Selleck admitted that he thought the original script was horrible, Now, he's getting real about disliking the fame he experienced during the early days of the action series.
While Tom Selleck had earned acting gigs prior to Magnum P.I., once he landed the hit show, his career and life took a different turn. He recently appeared on the Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast and told Ted Danson that he realized his life had changed after filming only a few episodes of Magnum, which was delayed due to the 1980 SAG-AFTRA strike.
The veteran actor went on to share how he felt once the show aired regularly. And it sounds like his newly earned notoriety wasn't all that easy on him:
I didn’t like it, mainly because of family and a sense of privacy.
A lack of privacy is commonly a downside to fame and, while those in the industry are aware of that before hitting it big, the stresses of being a public figure can still be rough. With that, many celebrities have been leaving Hollywood as of late for less busy locales. Even Tom Selleck has owned a ranch for decades, which allows him to get away from the hustle and bustle of Tinseltown.
The inability to enjoy his private life wasn't the only gripe Tom Selleck had with his early Magnum P.I. fame. Selleck was also subject to rumors pertaining to his private life. With that, the star had to become more thoughtful when taking part in interviews:
I started getting asked questions in interviews that I didn't want to say [or] give an answer to. I said, ‘You better find a way and find a line about what you're going to talk about.’ I didn't always succeed, but it just grew. And I still can't quite describe it.
Still, it wasn't all bad, it seems. The now-79-year-old actor went on to explain that he was able to find solace in some way while filming the show in Hawai'i. And, in the process, his life began to imitate the art:
I wasn't going through it every day. I had a lovely house in Hawai'i. ... It was the first house I could ever afford. And I belonged to a place called the Outrigger Canoe Club, and that was local people. Yeah, they kind of knew I was an actor, but that time while the actors were on strike and we couldn't start the show and start shooting was great. I actually was living Magnum's life.
I can only imagine having to deal with the price of celebrity while trying to maintain a personal life. Nevertheless, I'm glad to hear that Tom Selleck was able to find some source of relief while filming Magnum P.I. One would also think that he's well adjusted to his status as a public figure at this point, given how skillfully carries himself.
As of right now, it's unclear if Tom Selleck will retire after Blue Bloods, as filming wrapped over the summer. For now, though, he doesn’t seem to have any plans. I wouldn't mind seeing him jump into another ongoing show after his CBS procedural ends. Whatever comes his way, though, I'd imagine that he'll continue to lean on the experiences he's had to continue navigating celebrity life.
Magnum P.I. fans can buy episodes of the show on Prime Video. Also, tune in for the final episodes of Blue Bloods, which kick off on CBS on October 18. In the meantime, catch up on past episodes by stremaing them with a Paramount+ subscription.