Explained: Why is Tom Selleck not in the new Magnum P.I.?

With the return of Magnum P.I., a reboot of the 1980 show of the same name, most fans are still wondering whether they will see fan-favorite star Tom Selleck make a surprise appearance. The fifth season of the popular reboot began airing on February 19, 2023 and brought back the exciting action from the Hawaiian Estate with Jay Hernandez taking over Selleck's role as Thomas Magnum.

Two other actors from the original Magnum, P.I., Roger Mosley and Larry Manetti have already made appearances in the reboot, though not in their original roles. Tom Selleck, who currently leads Blue Bloods, felt it was unnecessary for him to make a cameo in the series to show fans that he approves of the reboot.

He previously said in an interview with TV Guide:

"I told them that I won’t do some cameo guest spot to let the audience know I approve,...I’m sure they’d like it, but I have an obligation to my version."

Additionally, Selleck was also contractually obligated to Blue Bloods, where he plays Frank Reagan. While it is almost certain that Selleck will not make an appearance in the reboot, fans still hope to see him in the show someday.

The actor played Thomas Magnum for eight seasons of the original show, which came to an end in 1988.

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One of the reasons Tom Selleck will not make an appearance in Magnum P.I. is because he is still tied to Blue Bloods

Tom Selleck's iconic appearance in the original show was enough to make fans constantly question a possible cameo in the new series. During his time as the lead, Selleck won an Emmy for his portrayal of the character. His fame surpassed almost all the characters of the show at the time and he is still widely known as Thomas Magnum.

His influence and grasp over the role made Hernandez nervous about his portrayal of the same iconic character. Hernandez revealed this in an interview with Jimmy Fallon, saying:

"It was somewhat intimidating,...I was convinced that nobody would accept anybody else besides Tom Selleck as Magnum P.I."

He also revealed in an interview with NBC Insider that he took many important cues from Selleck's portrayal of the character.

Hernandez revealed:

"There was a red one that was the exact pattern that Selleck wore and there was a purple one that I believe was the exact same print that he wore,...It's a callback to [the original] and fans of the original show love that kind of stuff when we do things that are pulled directly from the first installment."

Despite Magnum P.I. often having crossovers, it seems unlikely that Selleck will ever appear in the iconic show's reboot in the future. The veteran actor revealed that he was not against the reboot in any way and that the network did discuss the same with him. However, he did not want to make an appearance in the show, mainly because he felt it was unnecessary. He was also averse to the idea as he was still tied to Blue Bloods.

He recalled his decision to support the reboot and not make an appearance in it as he told TV Guide:

"I went home and thought about it for about a day. In the end, I thought, 'We couldn’t have a better bow tied around our show.' We went off with our final episode as the number one show on all of television."

He continued:

"We’re in the Smithsonian for recognizing Vietnam veterans in a positive light, the first show to really do that. And it led to countless other opportunities. I just felt success is so hard to come by in this business, why do I want to root for somebody to fail? I just stepped back, and said, ‘I won’t get in your way.'"

Despite this, fans of Magnum P.I. still hope to see Selleck in the show, perhaps purely for nostalgia.

Magnum P.I. is currently available for streaming on Peacock.