Tom Selleck played Police Commissioner Frank Reagan for 275 episodes of Blue Bloods over 14 seasons. He was one of the highest-paid actors in the series, but his recent comments about his potential financial woes after the end of the series raise several eyebrows. Selleck wants CBS to reconsider its decision to cancel the police procedural drama. However, an insider shared that the network wasn’t buying the actor’s financial situation.
Selleck became a major TV star through Magnum P.I. However, it came at the cost of another movie role that could have catapulted him to the heights of stardom. He turned down playing Indiana Jones to continue working on his role in the crime drama series. Unconfirmed reports also suggest that he turned down Han Solo role in Star Wars.
Tom Selleck Shared His Financial Woes Despite Earning Tens Of Millions From Blue Bloods Role
CBS announced the cancelation of Blue Bloods recently after a 14-season run. The top cop of the show, Tom Selleck, is upset about the potential retirement and losing millions of dollars in hefty paychecks. Moreover, he’s worried about losing his 63-acre ranch in Ventura County, Calif. Selleck’s is estimated to be $200,000 per episode on the show, according to Variety.
His salary for a 22-episode season would then work out to nearly $4.4 million, and adding them up for a total of 14 seasons, it is in the tens of millions range. Despite these massive numbers, Selleck shared with CBS Sunday Morning that he would have to sell his property if he didn’t get any more roles. He shared with a surprised interviewer:
You know, hopefully I keep working enough to hold onto the place. That’s always an issue. If I stopped working, yeah. Am I set for life? Yeah, but maybe not on a 63-acre ranch!
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Selleck has an estimated net worth of $25 million. Besides his hefty paychecks for Blue Bloods, he also reportedly got paid $500,000 per episode for Magnum P.I. When adjusted for inflation, it would add up to nearly $1.2 million per episode today. According to one insider, CBS executives weren’t happy with Selleck’s comments.
An insider source told Closer Weekly that Selleck’s pleas of poverty are absurd since the actor was making a jaw-dropping $200,000 per episode and $56 million over the years. The insider noted that other stars in the show made less than $100,000 a year and these were the people in real financial difficulties after the end of the show. The insider went on to call Selleck an “entitled brat” in his statement to Closer:
Many of these hardworking individuals reportedly make less than $100,000 a year, facing uncertainty and financial strain as the show comes to an end. Tom is an entitled brat. Hundreds of people are facing unemployment when the show wraps. Most of them will struggle to make ends meet — while Tom complains about the upkeep of his lavish 63-acre ranch. Give me a break!
It should also be noted that Selleck and his co-stars took a 25% pay cut to keep the show running for a 14th season (via THR). The actor wrote in his memoir, You Never Know, that he paid bonuses to the crew members of Magnum P.I. out of his pocket after CBS refused to do so (via Variety).
Harrison Ford Owes It To Tom Selleck For His Major Roles
Harrison Ford was the second choice for George Lucas when it came to the role of Indiana Jones. He didn’t want to work with Ford in another franchise after Star Wars and chose to work with a new face. Tom Selleck landed the role but there was a conflict of schedules with Magnum P.I. Selleck left the Raiders of the Lost Ark role just 3 weeks before filming and Lucas went back to Ford for the role.
Harrison Ford recently thanked Selleck for the role, sharing that he was indeed the second choice for the role. He shared in an interview with Deadline:
How I got the job? Tom Selleck had the job, but he also incurred an obligation to do a television series and he was unable to get out of that contract. I became the ‘second’ choice, and I’m very grateful to Tom. Thank you, Tom, man. If you’re listening, thank you again.
Interestingly, according to actor Robert Englund, Selleck was also one of the actors who auditioned for Han Solo (via MovieWeb). That’s twice Ford got a role and twice that the Friends actor committed a career blunder.
Blue Bloods is now available for streaming on Paramount+ and Hulu.
