Denton County Living Well Magazine July/August 2020 | Page 10

JULY/AUGUST 2020 2020
SPOTLIGHT
BUILT TO LAST
T
By Sondra Barr
Tom Selleck still
commands an audience.
om Selleck is no one-hit wonder. His enduring and much beloved
leading man presence on television screens has spanned over four
decades.
Larger-than-life, the 6 foot 4 star strikes a commanding, no-nonsense
presence. Mix that with a rancher’s work ethic, more than a dash of
old school charm, and a rugged visage that only gets better with age, and
you have the key to Selleck’s lasting appeal.
It’s this reliable everyman persona that permeates
his two most enduring starring roles,
most recently as Frank Reagan, the New York
police commissioner in the long-running Blue
Bloods, which wrapped up its 10th season in
May, and in the 80s smash hit Magnum, P.I.
Perhaps it’s no surprise that both roles encompass
a strong code of ethics, something
that Selleck, 75, embraces in his private life.
Rather than take his prolonged success for
granted, he’s nurtured it at arm’s length, while
prioritizing his family, their 65-acre California
ranch, and the causes nearest his heart.
“I’m a fairly private person,” he told People
Magazine’s Aili Nahas this year. “And I’ve always
treasured the balance between work and
time with my family. It’s always about them.”
When Magnum, P.I. went on-air on Dec.
11, 1980, Selleck was a relative unknown.
He had gotten into acting while a student
and basketball player at the University
of Southern California. After appearing
in some commercials and on The Dating
Game twice (surprisingly, he didn’t get the
girl), 20th Century Fox tapped him for a
$35-a-week paycheck in their selective “New
Talent” program, according to Parade.
A short while later, the military called Selleck
up for his Vietnam commitment. He didn’t
balk and signed on for a six-year commitment.
“I am a veteran, I am proud of it. I
was a sergeant in the U.S. Army infantry,
National Guard, Vietnam era,” he’s said.
“We’re all brothers and sisters in that sense.”
When Selleck’s service came to an end, he returned
to California ready to start where he left
off. According to impactingourfuture.com, after
six months of active duty, there was a uniform
that Selleck kept in his car so he’d be ready to
serve at a moment’s notice. “It wasn’t the best
thing for acting, especially when you had to