Is Tom Selleck gay? Plus other facts (Marriage, wife, daughter, net worth & more)

Thomas William Selleck, popularly known as Tom Selleck, is an American actor and producer who is popular for his role in the 1980s TV series Magnum, PI. In this article, we will disclose facts about him such as his age, partner, wife, daughter, son, net worth and sexuality – if he is gay.

Many of these facts are some of the most popular questions that people ask about Tom Selleck. Below, we provide answers to the top 10 key ones to give a brief overview of his facts.

Top 10 Tom Selleck facts

1. Tom Selleck was born on 29 January 1945 in Detroit, Michigan to English parents and he will turn 76 years old on his birthday in 2021.
2. Selleck quit the University of Southern California where he was studying business administration and switched to study acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse, under Acting Instructor Milton Katselas.
3. He found fame in 1980 when he played the role of Thomas Magnum in Magnum, PI (Magnum, P.I.). Before this, he had starred in many TV series and movies.
4. Also, Tom Selleck took part in many commercials for companies. He was the face of Salem cigarettes and Revlon’s Chaz cologne. Also, he appeared in ads for Right Guard deodorant, aperitif Dubonnet and Close-Up toothpaste.
5. He was an outstanding marksman and this got him lead roles in cowboy-themed Western films such as “The Sacketts”, “The Shadow Riders”, “Lassiter”, “Quigley Down Under”, “Last Stand at Saber River” and “Concrete Cowboys”.
6. In 2010, Tom Selleck took on the role of Frank Reagan in the TV series Blue Bloods. Before then, he had played A.J. Cooper in NBC drama “Las Vegas”.
7. Due to Tom Selleck gay rumours, the actor sued The Globe Newspaper Company for about $20 million. He issued a statement that he has been singularly heterosexual all his life.
8. Tom Selleck married Jacqueline Ray in 1971 and they divorced in 1982. He married Jillie Joan Mack in 1987 and they have been together ever since.
9. The names of Tom Selleck’s children are Kevin Selleck (son) and Hannah Selleck (daughter). Only Hannah is his biological child, he adopted Kevin after he married his mother, Jacqueline Ray.
10. At the Primetime Emmy Award in 1984, Tom Selleck was awarded the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series award for his role in Magnum, P.I. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1986.

Related: Jacqueline Ray Biography: Tom Selleck’s former partner, career, murder case, prison & more

Tom Selleck age, early life and education

Tom Selleck was born on 29 January 1945 in Detroit, Michigan, to English parents and he will turn 76 years old on his birthday in 2021. While his parents were from England, he also has a distant German ancestry from his father’s side.

Additionally, by way of ancestry, he is a direct descendant of English Colonist David Selleck, who moved to Massachusetts from Somerset, England, in 1633. While growing up, his family moved to Sherman Oaks, California.

Selleck attended Grant High School, a public school in California. Then, he went to Los Angeles Valley College. During this time, he saved enough money (coupled with a basketball scholarship) to move to the University of Southern California. He joined the USC Trojans men’s basketball team when he got there.

Tom Selleck went into acting while he was studying business administration. A drama coach had suggested that he go into acting. Selleck took the advice and quit university. He went on to study acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse, under acting instructor Milton Katselas.

Also, before he made it big in the film industry, Selleck joined the California National Guard after he received a draft notice during the Vietnam War. He served in the 160th Infantry Regiment of the California Army National Guard between 1967 and 1973.

Tom Selleck movies and TV career

TV

Tom Selleck made his first TV appearance as a college senior on the set of “The Dating Game” in 1965. He reprised his role in 1967 again and then starred in a Pepsi-Cola (now Pepsi) commercial.

He continued to star in several other TV series, mini-series and TV movies. In those early days, Tom Selleck took part in many commercials for companies. He was the face of Salem Cigarettes and Revlon’s Chaz cologne. Also, he did ads for Right Guard deodorant, aperitif Dubonnet and Close-Up toothpaste.

Selleck had recurring roles in the 1974 “The Rockford Files” series but his big break came with “Magnum, PI”.

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Tom Selleck Magnum, PI

Despite playing many characters from the 1970s, the entertainment industry never quite considered him a big shot. He was described as “easily accessible”, yet, the big roles never came.

His fortune changed in 1980 when he got the chance to play the role of Thomas Magnum in Magnum, PI. Tom Selleck fitted into the role of the character so much that the producers held on to him with all they had.

In 1981, Tom Selleck was offered the chance to play Indiana Jones in the film “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. However passed on the role, which eventually went to Harrison Ford. At the time, he had previously filmed six other TV pilots that did not see the light of day. Thus, Magnum, PI was a big deal for him.

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However, reports claimed that a writers’ strike delayed the shooting of the series and that Selleck could have filmed “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and still kept his role on Magnum, P.I. Yet, the actor said he never regretted his decision.

Years later, during a Build Series interview, he said: “Look, I made a deal with Magnum, and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I’m proud that I lived up to my contract…”

As Thomas Magnum, Tom Selleck played the role of a member of the Special Operations unit, “SEAL” in the Vietnam War, and later a member of the “Naval Intelligence Agency” (a fictional version of the Office of Naval Intelligence). The character had resigned his commission with the Navy to become a private investigator living in Hawaii.

Magnum, PI ran for eight seasons and 163 episodes until 1988. In 1984, Tom Selleck won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for the role. He played the role so well that he was said to have been the best choice for a rumoured Magnum, P.I. movie.

Selleck rejected the role of Mitch Buchannon in the TV series Baywatch, which later went to David Hasselhoff. His reason for rejecting the role was that he didn’t want to become a sex symbol.

Tom Selleck Blue Bloods

In 2010, Tom Selleck took on the role of Frank Reagan in the TV series Blue Bloods. Before then, he had played A.J. Cooper in NBC drama “Las Vegas”.

He had played other parts in several other TV series like “The Young and the Restless”, “Friends”, “The Closer”, and many more.

Tom Selleck movies / Tom Selleck westerns

Tom Selleck made his movie debut with small roles on “Myra Breckinridge”, “Coma” and “The Seven Minutes”. In 1972, he starred in the B-movie “Daughters of Satan”. By that time, he had become a well-known actor in many circles and with his marksman ability, he got lead roles in cowboy-themed Western films.

He played some of his most notable roles as a cowboy in these Western films such as “The Sacketts”, “The Shadow Riders”, “Lassiter”, “Quigley Down Under”, “Last Stand at Saber River” and “Concrete Cowboys”.

In 1997, Tom Selleck played the gay character of Peter Malloy in the film “In & Out”.

This movie is tied to the Tom Selleck gay rumours. We will get into this detail shortly as we look at his personal life.

Tom Selleck: Family and personal life

Marriage to Jacqueline Ray

Tom Selleck married Jacqueline Ray in 1971 and adopted her son Kevin Shepard, who now goes by the name Kevin Selleck. The three of them starred in Magnum, PI in the 1980s. While Jacqueline Ray was Tom Selleck’s partner, they did not have any biological children together.

Selleck and Ray were married for 11 years before the actress allegedly filed for divorce. Many reports agree that while the couple did not officially state the cause for their split, Tom Selleck’s fame for his role in Magnum, PI was seen as the major problem. The couple divorced in 1982. Tom Selleck raised Kevin Selleck as his son.

Marriage to Jillie Joan Mack

After his divorce from Ray, Tom Selleck married Jillie Joan Mack in 1987. She gave birth to Hannah, Tom Selleck’s daughter, in 1988. She is said to be his second child.

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Tom Selleck’s children

Tom Selleck has only two legal children: Kevin Selleck (son) and Hannah Selleck (daughter).

Tom Selleck’s son

The name of Tom Selleck’s son is Kevin Selleck but his birth name was Kevin Shepard. He was born in 1966 as the biological child of a certain Mr Shepard and Jacqueline Ray. There is not much public information about Kevin Selleck’s biological father beyond the surname. However, after Tom Selleck married Jacqueline Ray in 1972, he adopted Kevin as his son and the then couple changed his name officially to Kevin Selleck. Kevin Selleck was 19 years old when Tom Selleck adopted him.

Kevin Selleck appeared in Magnum, P.I. with his father and mother when he was still a teenager. He also played a role in “Scream 2”. After his parents divorced, Kevin continued to live with his father.

Following his early stint in the film industry, Kevin Selleck decided to pursue his passion for music. He joined the American rock band Tonic as a drummer. The other band members were Emerson Hart, Jeff Russo, Dan Rothchild and Dan Lavery.

Tonic released an album in 1996 titled “Lemon Parade” and a single in 1997 titled “If You Can Only See”. The single peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Airplay Hot 100. He eventually left the band after a disagreement with other members.

Kevin Selleck married Annabelle in August 1987 and they have six children.

Tom Selleck’s daughter

Hannah Margaret Selleck is the name of Tom Selleck’s daughter. She was born on 16 December 1988. The family of Tom Selleck lives on a ranch and it was there that Hannah developed her love for horses.

She grew up with a dream of becoming a professional equestrian and pursued a career along that path. Hannah Selleck won the Silver Team Medal at the Prix de States in 2005 and the 16-year-old Equitation Championship at Capital Challenge in 2006.

Additionally, she is a jumper and participated in Grand Prix jumping contests including Gucci Masters tournament in 2011 and the 2015 Longines Masters in Los Angeles.

Tom Selleck and Hannah run a Descanso Farm’s boutique breeding stable in California – a farm that trains young horses and develops them into quality sports horses. She is an ambassador for JustWorld International, an equestrian charity.

Tom Selleck daughter Hannah Selleck is on Instagram and Twitter with the handle @hannahselleck.

Tom Selleck’s partner

Jillie Joan Mack is still Tom Selleck’s partner as of January 2021. They have managed to stay out of the limelight and this privacy may have contributed to their long-lasting marriage.

In 2020, Tom Selleck and Jillie Mack celebrated 33 years of marriage. He was quoted as saying: “We don’t do anything or make any decisions without consulting each other. And if one of us makes a decision involving Hannah, the other parent completely supports that position, even if you disagree.”

Tom Selleck’s family lives in Thousand Oaks-Westlake Village, California, on a 60-acre (24 ha) avocado ranch in Hidden Valley formerly owned by Dean Martin.

Is Tom Selleck gay?

The simple answer is no, Tom Selleck is not gay. We know that the name of Tom Selleck’s wife is Jillie, however, is he still with her? Yes. There have been several unconfirmed Tom Selleck gay rumours. Likely, as we mentioned earlier, the rumours about the actor being gay started at the height of his career.

In 1991, a gay rights campaign group called Outpost placed faces of gay celebrities around New York. Tom Selleck was included among these celebrities that were said to be gay. The Globe newspaper (not the popular Boston Globe) published many placards with the headline, “Gay Stars Stop Traffic”.

This infuriated the actor and his lawyers sued the newspaper company for about $20 million. They claimed that the Globe had reprinted slander in an attempt to damage his professional and personal life. However, the Globe argued that they were only making a report. Both parties eventually settled out of court.

The matter led the actor to release a statement. In it, Tom Selleck stated that he is not gay. He mentioned that he has been ‘singularly heterosexual all his life. However, the scandal did not stop him from taking the role of a gay character in “In & Out”.

Many believe that Tom Selleck took the role to clear the assumption that he was anti-gay or a homophobe. There were also rumours that people within his close circle had advised him not to take the role.

We believe that this clearly answers the question, “Is Tom Selleck gay?”

Tom Selleck: Workout

Tom Selleck revealed that he does his work out by actually ‘working’. He claimed that since he lived on a ranch, he does most of the manual labour himself such as fixing roads and clearing bush. “I hate going to the gym, so sweating outdoors sure beats sitting on a stationary bike staring at my navel,” he said in an interview with People magazine.

Additionally, he is an accomplished indoor and beach volleyball player, playing the outside hitter position for the Outrigger Canoe Club, Honolulu. Also, Selleck is an avid ice hockey fan and has been seen attending Los Angeles Kings games at Staples Center.

Tom Selleck: Height and appearance

Selleck had found fame with his good looks and impressive body build. This was partly the reason he got many commercials gigs in the early days of his entertainment career.

At his peak, Tom Selleck’s height was an impressive 6ft 4 or (193 cm). He was also an outdoorsman and it affected his skin, giving him a cool tan. Additionally, he is well known for his full moustache.

Tom Selleck: Net worth

Playing many roles in advertisements, movies and TV series over the past 45 years surely translates into a lot of money. Tom Selleck’s net worth is said to be about $45 million or more. The actor amassed his wealth gradually but steadily from small roles to bigger ones.

However, since we could not find a Forbes’ listing of Tom Selleck’s net worth, we advise that you do not take the figure mentioned earlier as a fact. He may be worth well over that or lower than that. We do know that he is living well beyond the reach of poverty.

Tom Selleck: Awards and honours

Tom Selleck received an honorary doctorate degree from Pepperdine University in April 2000. He also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1986.

Below is a complete list of all Tom Selleck’s awards:

1. Favorite Actor in a New TV Series at People’s Choice Awards (1981)
2. Favorite Male TV Performer at People’s Choice Awards (1983)
3. Favorite Male TV Performer at People’s Choice Awards (1984)
4. Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series at Primetime Emmy Awards (1984)
5. Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama at Golden Globe Awards (1985)
6. Favorite Male TV Performer at People’s Choice Awards (1985)
7. Worst Actor at Golden Raspberry Awards (1993)