Tom Selleck's life in pictures

By Jessica Wedemeyer 6:13am PST, Dec 11, 2020

It's been 40 years since "Magnum, P.I." debuted on Dec. 11, 1980. In honor of the television crime-drama series on which Tom Selleck starred as the titular private investigator, Wonderwall.com is taking a look back at the actor's life in pictures. Keep reading to relive his biggest moments captured on camera in our photo flashback…

Tom Selleck, who modeled before branching into acting, made his television debut in the late '60s with small roles in commercials and on forgettable shows like "Lancer" and "Judd for the Defense." In 1970, he made his feature-film debut in "Myra Breckinridge," sharing screen time with Mae West in the gender-bending comedy in which Raquel Welch had the title role.

Tom Selleck kept close to his first wife, model-actress Jacqueline Ray, in December 1974. The duo divorced in 1982 after about a decade of marriage. During their time together, Tom adopted her son, Kevin, from a previous relationship.

During the mid-70s, Tom Selleck portrayed married publicist Jed Andrews, who briefly romanced Jaime Lyn Bauer's Lorie, on "The Young and the Restless." Around that time, he also popped up on episodes of "Mannix," "Charlie's Angels," "Taxi" and "The Rockford Files."

Tom Selleck made his debut in the Western genre with the 1979 NBC miniseries "The Sacketts." He'd come to be known for his work in the genre, with roles in "The Shadow Riders," "Quigley Down Under," "Ruby Jean and Joe," "Last Stand at Saber River," for which he won the first of three Western Heritage Awards from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, and more.

Tom Selleck scored his major breakthrough in 1980 when "Magnum, P.I." debuted on CBS. He earned five Emmy nominations and seven Golden Globe nominations for his performance on the crime-drama series, which came to an end in 1988 after eight seasons on the air.

Mimi Rogers accompanied Tom Selleck to a screening of his made-for-TV movie "Divorce Wars: A Love Story" on Feb. 12, 1982. The duo briefly dated before the actor found true love with another woman…

In the summer of 1983, Tom Selleck fell for actress Jillie Mack after he saw her in a London production of "Cats." The new duo posed together backstage with some of the actors on Oct. 1, 1983.

Jillie Mack quickly became a fixture at Tom Selleck's side. She accompanied him to the 41st Annual Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 28, 1984.

Of the five times Tom Selleck earned Emmy nominations for outstanding lead actor on a drama series for his work on "Magnum, P.I.," he took home top honors once: in 1984. The following year, he won his first and only Golden Globe.

On Nov. 9, 1985, Tom Selleck gave Princess Diana a whirl around the dance floor during a gala at the White House. "I was so nervous I couldn't think of anything sensible to say," the actor recalled to Piers Morgan in late 2014. "It remains one of my great regrets — I danced with Princess Diana and couldn't say a damn interesting thing to her the whole time, nor ask any of the questions I would have loved to ask her."

Tom Selleck was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on June 4, 1986. His girlfriend, Jillie Mack, and mother Martha were both on hand during the ceremony.

On Aug. 7, 1987, Tom Selleck secretly married actress Jillie Mack at a 24-hour wedding chapel in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The following month, on Sept. 20, the newlyweds were all smiles during the 39th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Pasadena, California.

In 1987, Tom Selleck showed his comedic chops in "3 Men and a Baby." The comedy was such a huge hit, it spawned a 1990 sequel, "3 Men and a Little Lady."

Tom Selleck embraced longtime friend Nancy Reagan after introducing her during the Republican National Conventional in New Orleans on Aug. 15, 1988. (He and his wife attended the former first lady's 2016 funeral.)

Tom Selleck and wife Jillie Mack, who was pregnant with their daughter, Hannah, at the time, attended a joint Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli and Sammy Davis Jr. concert at The Forum in Los Angeles on Nov. 26, 1988. (Hannah arrived the following month, prompting the actor to bring to an end his time on "Magnum, P.I.")

In 1992, as part of the training for his role in "Mr. Baseball," Tom Selleck — a Detroit native and avid Tigers baseball fan — worked out with the Detroit Tigers during spring training in Lakeland, Florida.

Tom Selleck and wife Jillie Mack stepped out with their daughter, Hannah, in London in 1995.

In 1996, Tom Selleck made his debut as Dr. Richard Burke, Monica's much older boyfriend, on "Friends." He earned an Emmy nomination in 2000 for outstanding guest actor on a comedy series for his work on the sitcom.

On April 4, 2000, Tom Selleck received an honorary doctorate of laws from Pepperdine University. (After graduating from high school in 1962, he attended Los Angeles Valley College while saving up for the University of Southern California, where he majored in business administration with the help of a basketball scholarship. He discovered acting while studying at USC.)

Tom Selleck's daughter, Hannah, made her red carpet debut alongside her mom, Jillie Mack, and dad during the Creative Arts Emmy Awards in Pasadena, California, on Aug. 26, 2000.

Tom Selleck made his Broadway debut in a 2001 revival of "A Thousand Clowns" at the Longacre Theater in New York City. Sadly, the play earned mostly negative reviews and closed after just two months.

In 2005, Tom Selleck starred as Jesse Stone on the CBS made-for-TV movie "Stone Cold." The crime-drama was such a huge hit, it launched a franchise. The ninth and most recent installment in the series aired on the Hallmark Channel in October 2015, and a 10th film is currently in the works. Tom has executive produced all nine movies, six of which he co-wrote.

In 2007, Tom Selleck earned his seventh Emmy nomination: outstanding lead actor in a miniseries or movie for his performance in "Jesse Stone: Sea Change," the fourth film in the Jesse Stone TV-movie franchise.

Tom Selleck, who was drafted during the Vietnam War, shot a public service announcement for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington on Feb. 3, 2009. (The actor served in the California National Guard from 1967 to 1973.)

All grown up! Tom Selleck's daughter, Hannah, hasn't walked a red carpet with her mom, Jillie Mack, and dad since the Hollywood premiere of "Killers" on June 1, 2010. The blonde beauty, who does attend Hollywood events by herself from time to time, is now a world-class equestrian and horse breeder.

In 2010, Tom Selleck debuted as Commissioner Frank Reagan on the CBS crime-drama "Blue Bloods."

Tom Selleck served as the master of ceremonies during a Memorial Day event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington on May 28, 2012.

Tom Selleck received the Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award — which honors leaders and icons in the entertainment industry — during the National Association of Television Program Executives conference in Miami Beach on Jan. 17, 2018.

Back to work! Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Tom Selleck masked up to return to the New York City set of his hit CBS show "Blue Bloods" in October 2020. The show's 11th season debuted that December.