Tom Selleck has been a Hollywood heartthrob from his days as “Magnum, P.I.” in the 1980s to his role as a police commissioner in the CBS TV series “Blue Bloods.”
Still, his fans might not know everything about their favorite actor.
Following his “Magnum” success, Selleck starred in several hit theatrical movies, including “Lassiter,” “Mr. Baseball,” “Quigley Down Under,” and “Three Men and a Baby.” However, TV has remained his forte. He has appeared in many made-for-TV movies and had a recurring role for a season on the popular “Friends” series.
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He makes no secret about his political views and has been a strong supporter of the National Rifle Association.
Here are five things you didn’t know about Tom Selleck:
1. He promoted Salem cigarettes as a billboard model — While struggling to make it as an actor, Selleck used his physique to his advantage, taking on commercial and photo jobs as a model. He once told TV Guide he was paid $500 to do the Salem billboard advertisements. Some people confuse him with the Marlboro Man model, but that was not him.
2. He started his film acting career opposite Mae West — The legendary and aging sex symbol said he was perfect for the role of one of her studs in 1970’s notorious “Myra Breckinridge” movie. “I escorted her to a couple of premieres and she did hundreds of interviews where she mentioned me in the same sentence as Cary Grant,” he told The Morning Call in a 1997 interview.
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3. He initially turned down the role of Magnum — He found the part to be too much of a “James Bond” type character, he told GQ. He wanted Magnum to be more laid back and flawed, much like Jim Rockford, James Garner’s role on “The Rockford Files,” in which Selleck guest starred. The production team rewrote the part and Selleck later accepted.
4. He could have played Indiana Jones — Director Steven Spielberg and producer George Lucas wanted Selleck for the lead role in “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” the first film of the "Indiana Jones" series. However, Selleck had already signed on to the revamped “Magnum, P.I.” and he had to decline the movie role.
5. He credits the military with keeping him away from drugs — Selleck served with the California Army National Guard in the 1960s. People in his peer group were trying marijuana when he left for active duty. When he returned, he saw the changes in them and their wasted lives. He told GQ it was a “weird blessing in my life where I was away for six months, because I’d seen a progression that I might not have noticed had I been around.”
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