Tom Selleck Admits “Magnum, P.I.” Was A “Blessing” But He “Didn’t Like” Fame

In the 1980s, there were fewer television stars bigger than Tom Selleck. He played Thomas Magnum, a private investigator on Magnum P. I. from 1980 to 1988. For the better part of the decade, the world loved seeing Magnum, with his signature mustache and floral shirt, busting the bad guys on the beaches of Hawaii. The show shot Tom to a level of superstardom that he admits wasn’t really in his comfort zone.

“Magnum P.I.” Made Tom Selleck A Star But He Wanted A Private Life

Tom sat down with fellow 1980s celebrity Ted Danson for an episode of his podcast, Where Everybody Knows Your Name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson (sometimes ), and spoke of his sudden fame.

“I didn’t like it,” Tom explained. “Mainly because of family and a sense of privacy.”

He said he was living in Hawaii in a small house among the locals, not unlike his character. Some of them knew he was an actor, but it wasn’t until the show became a hit that he really started to get recognized. He said he was grateful that he was filming in Hawaii and not in Los Angeles like many other shows, having far fewer eyes on him.

“Say the same show was in L.A., and it got the same kind of heat,” he said. “I don’t know how people do that. I had this huge buffer, and it was a blessing.”

Tom’s current show, Blue Bloods , has been a fan favorite for 14 seasons on CBS and will conclude its run on October 18.

He’s been very vocal about his disappointment in the show’s cancelation telling T.V. Insider ,

“CBS will find an awful lot of people aren’t ready to say goodbye to it. The show’s more popular than ever, and I think [numbers] will increase with the interest this year. We’re certainly not out of ideas.”

This story’s featured image is by Silver Screen Collection/Archive Photos/Getty Images.

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