Tom Selleck has been a mainstay of the entertainment industry for over four decades, first rocketing into heartthrob status in the early '80s for his leading role in
In a new interview with People, the actor, 79, reflected on the early trappings of fame and how his desire to take on as many roles as possible conflicted with his wish to stay home and be a parent.
Tom shares his son Kevin, 57, with his ex-wife Jacqueline Ray. He married actress Jillie Mack in 1987 and they welcomed their daughter Hannah, now 35, in December 1988.
He told the publication that he took a break from acting in the late '80s-early '90s when his daughter, who was still a child, developed viral pneumonia and was hospitalized. "I got off that train."
The star was slated to shoot 1992's in Spain at the time, opposite Marlon Brando. "I had agreed to do the picture because Marlon Brando was in it," he recalled.
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"I missed all the rehearsal and everything. We got Hannah home, and then I went, but I didn't like that." He even confessed that despite getting the chance to develop a friendship with the his veteran co-star, the experience was not worth leaving his family and ailing daughter behind.
"But it wasn't worth it. It was never going to be worth it," Tom opined. "And I said, this is crazy. I quit really, to have a family, and now I'm jumping at every movie that comes along."
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After his break stretched on for nearly three years, he found further success in the later part of the decade, including his recurring stint on the hit NBC sitcom Friends playing Dr. Richard Burke.
"I think I've been a good dad," he reflected. "But you always think you missed opportunities. I mean, when it comes right down to it, in our business the work comes first. You find a way to make that compatible, but…"
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However, he has since found much more satisfaction with steadier work, including his stint on the hit CBS procedural drama , which comes to an end this fall after 14 seasons. He has played Commissioner Frank Reagan since the show's 2010 inception and stars alongside Donnie Walhberg, Bridget Moynahan, and Will Estes.
He gushed to the publication about spending his days on his 63-acre California ranch and avocado farm with his wife, reading scripts after stints of filming in New York and finding more time to relax.
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"I'm one of the last guys to see it, and I'm a good editor," he said of poring over scripts, and shared that on the days where he had less going on, he chose "a cigar and a glass of whiskey" as "a nice way to end the day."
"I've had a very good life, a very lucky life. I don’t know if it's what I figured I'd be doing, but it's with a lot of gratitude."
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