Tom Selleck discusses fame, family, and why he left ‘Magnum P.I.’ in a rare interview.
Tom Selleck was one of the 1980s’ hottest stars when he abruptly left his hit show, “Magnum P.I.”
He recently reflected on how celebrity became too much for him.
“I quit ‘Magnum,’ not because I didn’t like it or was tired of it,” Selleck explained to People magazine. “I was exhausted by it.” And I desired a three-dimensional life because I lacked one.”
In a rare interview, the 75-year-old actor opened up about life on his Ventura, California, ranch and the hardships of notoriety.
Selleck rose to prominence in the CBS crime drama from 1980 until 1988.
Selleck, a self-described “fairly private person,” was not a fan of the Hollywood lifestyle.
“I knew intellectually what it would mean in terms of being a public person, but there’s no way to understand it until you’ve lived it,” he told People. “I had the feeling that I wasn’t cut out for this.”
Rather, Selleck cherishes his family: his wife of 33 years, Jillie; their 31-year-old daughter Hannah; and Kevin, his 54-year-old son with his first wife, Jacqueline Ray.
“My relationships and my ranch keep me sane,” stated Selleck.
He hasn’t done anything in the industry.
Selleck also appears in the CBS drama “Blue Bloods,” which is in its tenth season.
“I’m proud of my work, I still love what I do, and I have my family,” Selleck explained. “I’ve been enormously fortunate.”
