Thanks to his role in Magnum P.I. Tom Selleck was one of the best-loved television actors of the 1980s. It was one of the most-watched shows of the decade and it gave Selleck the first major role of his career. The show ran for 8 seasons between 1980 and 1988, and during that time, his net worth began to grow. Selleck earned $500, 000 per episode, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Selleck wasn't the only star of the show, of course. Magnum P.I. was famous for the Ferrari 308 GTS too, a car that ensured petrol heads, as well as fans of Selleck, tuned in to the show each week.

His role as the easygoing private detective in Magnum P.I. may have won the actor a legion of fans but his acting career went beyond the Hawaiian backdrop of the show. Further TV roles followed, as did a movie career, and they all contributed to his $45 million net worth.

Selleck has no plans to retire from acting yet but he does spend a lot of time away from the limelight. So, what is he up to when he's not acting in TV or movies? Let's take a look at both his career and his life offscreen.

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Tom Selleck's Life On Screen

After making a living as a model, Selleck began his acting career in the late 1960s. After a small role in the TV series Lancer in 1969, he popped up in a number of other television shows through the 1970s, including The Young and the Restless, The Streets of San Francisco, and Charlie's Angels. Selleck took on his first movie role in 1970, starring alongside acting legend Mae West in the notoriously bad movie, Myra Breckinridge. He also starred in Midway and Coma during that decade but thanks to his role as Magnum P.I. he became better known as a TV actor throughout most of the 1980s.

Things changed in 1987 when Selleck starred in the hit comedy Three Men and a Baby. After Selleck missed out on playing Indiana Jones, this was the movie he needed to secure Hollywood stardom.  While he had starred in other movies during this decade, including High Road to China and Runaway, his role as one of the three bewildered men left in charge of a baby was far and away his most successful movie part. Starring roles in Her Alibi, An Innocent Man, and Quigley Down Under followed, as did the 1990 sequel, Three Men and a Little Lady.

Unfortunately, the movie roles Selleck took on during the 1990s did little to boost his Hollywood career. Mr. Baseball, Folks, and Christopher Columbus: The Discovery were all box office flops and by the end of that decade, Selleck retreated to television acting again. He joined the cast of Friends as a friend of Monica's parents and he received a lot of acclaim as NYC Police Commissioner Frank Reagan in Blue Bloods. He also starred in a lot of TV movies in the Jesse Stones series, where he played another crime-busting character fighting on the side of the law.

Selleck's star power rose because of his later TV roles but he prefers not to be in the media spotlight. Outside of acting, he is a very private person and lives out a lifestyle far different from that of many other big-name stars.

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From Acting Life To Ranch Life

When Selleck isn't working hard in front of a camera he is working hard on his California ranch. Previously an avocado farm, the 65-acre ranch still houses more than 1500 trees, and Selleck works hard to keep the place going. The actor bought the property for $5 million from Dean Martin in 1988 and he has attributed ranch life to keeping himself sane.

Talking to Closer Weekly in 2018, Selleck discussed why he chose life on the ranch with his family over the trappings of fame. He said:

"I quit Magnum to have a family. It took me a long time to get off the train, but I try very hard to have balance, and this ranch has helped me do that...I work this ranch every day. I do the grunt jobs because it saves me money. And it’s good for my head. You don’t have time to reflect — you just keep moving. I feel very fortunate, and I feel I’ve earned it."

When speaking about her husband, Selleck's wife Jillie Mack had this to say about his time on the ranch.

"This is the best place to raise a child. It was such the wisdom of Tom. He knew he needed to buy back his anonymity, to replenish the soul."

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While Selleck's life on the ranch seems relatively humble, his actual abode is anything but. The Spanish-colonial ranch house has eight bedrooms, a swimming pool, a tennis court, and a three-hole putting course. It even has a heliport too!

As well as being an avocado farmer, the actor also works on the ranch as a horse breeder, and this passion is shared by Selleck's daughter Hannah, a champion equestrian.

Selleck certainly works hard both on and off the screen.

If he ever does decide to retire from acting for good, he will have plenty to keep himself busy if he continues to live out his life on the ranch he shares with his family.

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