“Who the hell do you think you are?” Tom Selleck risked everything to save Magnum P.I. from disaster
Tom Selleck's persistence helped make Mangum P.I. what we know today. However, the actor risked a lot by opposing the network.
Mangum P.I. is an important production for Tom Selleck, for which he not only sacrificed the role of Indiana Jones, but also risked his entire career. He did so because he believed in the potential of the TV series and the character he was to play, which was not realized by the first script that came into his hands.
The script for Magnum P.I. pilot was “horrible.” The actor felt that something more could have been done with Thomas Magnum, who lacked any depth in this version, he was too perfect like Bond. The actor knew that this was a simple way to kill an interesting project, so he had to be clear – changes were needed.
During an interview with Esquire, Selleck told how he received great advice from Jim Garner. When Selleck mentioned to him that a poor script had come into his hands, he heard, “You don’t have any power, but if they want you for this part, you will never have more power than you do at this moment.”
That’s what I did. I took a stand and said, “No.” The studio said, “Who the hell do you think you are? You’ve never even been on the air.” But they got a new writer, and he wrote a great pilot. If it didn’t work, I don’t think I ever would have worked again. The studio would have seen to that.
Fortunately, everything went Selleck's way. He managed to put his best foot forward and, as he confessed, “The network loved Don Bellisario's pilot for Magnum.” However, they had one more fight ahead of them – the network wanted references to Vietnam to be dropped from the character's story. Bellisario and Selleck objected, which was appreciated, as Selleck found out years later when he was thanked for the fact that Magnum P.I. was “the first show that recognized Vietnam veterans in a positive light.”
Making Magnum P.I. we know today was no easy task, but thanks to Selleck's tenacity, he was able to bring this version of history to life.
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