"I was Planning to Go into Architecture. But when I arrived (to sign up for courses) Architecture was filled up. Acting was right next to it. So I signed up for acting instead." —Tom Selleck
Thomas William Selleck, from Detroit Michigan (born on January 29, 1945), is an American actor, director, producer, and political activist. His early career is filled with television commercials and minor roles as boyfriends, best friends, cowboys, cops, and lawyers. In 1980, he enjoyed his first big... no, make that
frickin' huge... break when he was cast as Thomas Magnum in
Magnum, P.I., a role he continued with until the series was cancelled in 1988. During his time on
Magnum, he became one of the most bankable stars on television.
He
was offered the lead role in a little film called
Raiders of the Lost Ark, but in the end had to turn it down because the producers of Magnum wouldn't release him for other projects. (The role of
Indiana Jones ended up going to some guy named
Harrison Ford.)
After Magnum, he turned to film almost exclusively, appearing in
Runaway,
Mister Baseball,
Three Men and a Baby, and
Quigley Down Under, a role that he considers his personal best. In 1997, the solidly conservative Selleck played against type to portray an openly gay reporter who has an affair with Kevin Kline in
In And Out. These days he's mostly back to television, starring in the regular series
Blue Bloods and appearing in the
Jesse Stone series of TV movies.
Selleck is an avid gun collector, and is a member of the NRA. He lives on an avocado farm, which he operates himself, citing that he works "for less than anyone I can hire."
