Tom Selleck’s rise to Hollywood fame began with his breakout role in Magnum, P.I. in 1980, but his journey to acting was anything but conventional. Before he ever stepped in front of a camera, Selleck envisioned a future in sports. He played basketball on scholarship at the University of Southern California, where he majored in business. Everything changed when a drama teacher suggested he give acting a try and Selleck decided to take the leap.
His first on-screen appearance came in 1967 as a contestant on The Dating Game during his senior year of college. That televised moment opened the door to early commercials and small acting jobs. His first credited role followed two years later, with an appearance on the TV series Lancer in 1969.
Through the 1970s, Selleck worked steadily, building a respectable resume. He appeared in shows such as Bracken’s World (1969–1970), Marcus Welby, M.D. (1974–1975), Charlie’s Angels (1976), and The Rockford Files (1978–1979). He also landed roles in films including The Movie Murderer (1970), Terminal Island (1973), and Returning Home (1975).
Reflecting on his early years, Selleck once admitted, “I had an accidental career. I did The Dating Game and something else and somebody saw me I had never studied acting in my life or thought about it or wanted it.”
Then came 1980 and the role that changed everything. Selleck was offered the part of Thomas Magnum in Magnum, P.I., though he wasn’t immediately thrilled about it. As a Universal contract player, he initially resisted the project.
“I got assigned a show called Magnum,” Selleck recalled. “Glen Larson wrote it…and Glen was a really good guy, but I didn’t like his shows. They were very James Bond-like. I had done six unsold pilots, and I said I wouldn’t do it which was kind of a big risk.”
Despite his hesitation, Magnum, P.I. became a massive hit, turning Selleck into a television superstar and cementing his status as a pop culture icon. While Magnum was solving crimes under the Hawaiian sun, Selleck’s fame skyrocketed though he admits the “heartthrob” image never felt entirely natural.
“I knew I was about the same actor I was a year before I got Magnum,” he said. “They made it bigger than life with all the hunky stuff, and I wasn’t comfortable with that. People say it goes with the territory 
and it does but usually the people who say that haven’t been in the territory.”