Tom Selleck, Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson Appear in Latest Episode Where Everyone Knows Your Name In the podcast, he said he was initially uncomfortable with the fame that came with his iconic role. Magnum PI brought it.
Selleck played Thomas Magnum, a cool investigator who takes on cases in glamorous Hawaiian locations. The series made Selleck a household name after more than a decade of small roles in film and TV. Danson noted that the role made Selleck “arguably one of the biggest stars in the world,” prompting the star to recall the “melancholy period” he spent filming the series in Hawaii.
“I didn’t like it,” Selleck said of his sudden fame. “Mainly because of my family and my sense of privacy,” he explained. “I started getting asked questions in interviews that I didn’t want to answer. I said, ‘You better find a way to talk about something.’ I didn’t always succeed, but it grew, and I still can’t quite describe it.”
But Selleck quickly realized he “didn't live this every day.” Magnum PI's production, especially during the first season, when Selleck was far from crazy. “I had a beautiful house in Hawaii. It was a very small house — a one-bedroom house,” he explained. “And I belonged to a place called the Outrigger Canoe Club, and it was local. And yes, they knew I was an actor, but at the time… it was great. I was basically living Magnum's life on the beach and things like that,” he said.
Selleck's life changed rapidly when the series became an instant hit, earning the actor Golden Globe and Emmy nominations every year from 1982 to 1986. He remains one of the most recognizable Hollywood stars thanks to his memorable turns in classic series and his signature moustache. Friends And Blue Bloods.
You can listen to Selleck's full interview here.