Tom Selleck, 77, Reveals the One Acting Job That Left Him “Scared to Death”

Brett SmithMay 3, 2022

The Hollywood star Tom Selleck of “Magnum P.I.” and “Blue Bloods” fame has spent decades working as an actor, but he admitted in a new interview that there’s one role that left him “scared to death,” and it may surprise you.

The man, the myth, the MUSTACHE! 👨🏻 Tune in today for more stories from Tom Selleck’s legendary career, and find out how he’s celebrating the 250th episode of #BlueBloods! pic.twitter.com/bBiw58YkHi

— The Kelly Clarkson Show (@KellyClarksonTV) April 27, 2022

‘I Was Scared To Death’

In an interview with the singer and talk show host Kelly Clarkson, Selleck confessed that his role on “Friends” playing Dr. Richard Burke, the one-time (make that two-time) boyfriend of Courteney Cox’s character Monica Geller, left him terrified. The reason behind this was that despite years of experience, Selleck had never done a comedic show at the time.

“The hardest thing is to guest on a show,” the 77-year-old explained, according to Daily Mail. “I was scared to death. I had done [an episode of] ‘Taxi’ a long time before, but I hadn’t done a sitcom. And so, I was really nervous.”

Selleck went on to praise Cox for being a “big help” to him on the show’s set.

“Courteney helped a lot. Courteney’s a big help,” he recalled. “But that group’s an incredible group of friends. They obviously became friends in life as well as on the show. And it shows. It was a wonderful place to work.”

Though Selleck was originally only slated to make one appearance on “Friends,” he ended up appearing in nine episodes between 1995 and 2000. Check out his full comments about this experience in the video below.

[embedded content]

Selleck Talks ‘Blue Bloods’

In this same interview, Selleck talked about the success of his show “Blue Bloods,” which has already been slated to return for a 13th season on CBS.

“We did 163 hours of Magnum, and I thought ‘Well, okay, you can’t get that lucky twice,’” he said, according to the U.K. Express. “It was a really lovely little celebration.”

This was a reference to the show’s recent 250th episode.

“It’s a blessing!” Clarkson replied, with Selleck jokingly responding, “I’ll say. I’ve got a mortgage!”

As for potential retirement, as he nears the age of 80, Selleck doesn’t seem to be considering that anytime soon.

“I love what I do, and I want to keep doing it,” he continued. “And so far, so good. Twelve years! It is crazy.”

Selleck Loves His Wife

When he’s not working, Selleck enjoys spending time on his ranch with his wife of 35 years, Jillie Mack. Earlier this year, he described Mack as his “true partner.”

“I don’t’ think the infatuation stage of any relationship lasts forever, but it can grow into something. It just grows more satisfying,” he said, according to the Black Hills Pioneer. “You become true partners.”

Full Story: Tom Selleck Opens Up About Choosing Family Over Fame And Life On His Ranch

Selleck is truly a class act, which makes him somewhat of a rarity in Hollywood. We’re so glad to see him becoming even more open about his incredible life experiences in these new interviews!