Award-winning actor Tom Selleck might be trading in his badge for a cowboy hat after playing New York City Police Commissioner Frank Reagan on CBS’s long-running police drama “Blue Bloods” for 14 seasons.
In a recent interview with Parade, published on Dec. 6, Selleck, 79, expressed a desire to return to the Western genre as he embarks on the next chapter of his career.
“I wouldn’t say [offers] are pouring in, but maybe some people are thinking of me,” the actor said.
As for future projects, Selleck would likely consider a potential collaboration with “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan, the publication notes.
“A good Western’s always on my list,” Selleck shared. “I miss that; I want to sit on a horse again.”
Selleck has appeared in a number of Western films and television shows throughout his decades-long career. These include “The Sacketts” (1979), “The Shadow Riders” (1982), “Quigley Down Under” (1990), “Last Stand at Saber River” (1997), “Crossfire Trail” (2001), and “Monte Walsh” (2003).
The veteran actor’s performance in “Last Stand at Saber River”—set in the Arizona Territory post-Civil War—earned him the Television Feature Film award at the 1998 Western Heritage Awards.
The annual ceremony, presented by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, aims to honor those who “preserve and promote the culture, values, and history of the American West,” according to the museum’s website.
Selleck was subsequently honored with the prestigious Western genre award in 2002 and 2004 for his work in “Crossfire Trail” and “Monte Walsh,” respectively.
In April 2010, Selleck was inducted into the Oklahoma City-based museum’s Hall of Great Western Performers, joining a host of Western cinema greats, such as “Gunsmoke” star Burt Reynolds and Kevin Costner, best known for his roles in “Silverado” (1985), “Dances With Wolves” (1990), and “Open Range” (2003), among others.
Speaking to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum on the eve of his induction, Selleck discussed the enduring popularity of “Quigley Down Under,” which is centered on a Wyoming cowboy who takes a job as a sharpshooter in the Australian Outback.
“It just is a really well-done movie,” Selleck said.
“It’s just been around forever, and I’m really proud of that ‘cause something’s got to be good to last, and I think ’Quigley' is a good movie.”
‘Blue Bloods’ Cancellation
The “Magnum, P.I.” star, who resides on a 65-acre ranch in Ventura County, California, garnered his role on “Blue Bloods” in 2010.The hit cop drama, which also stars actors Donnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan, Will Estes, and Len Cariou, centers on the lives of Frank Reagan and his family as they navigate their jobs in New York City law enforcement.
Although “Blue Bloods” is one of CBS’s most successful shows, the network announced earlier this year that the series would be coming to an end this fall.
“We really want to thank the cast and crew, everyone involved in the show,” Amy Reisenbach, the president of CBS Entertainment, said during a press conference in May, per Deadline.
“We love this cast, we love their passion for the show. All shows have to come to an end. It’s important to us to refresh the schedule. We are going to end the show come December.”
Selleck told TV Insider in October that he was frustrated by CBS’s decision to cancel the show.
“I don’t believe in holding grudges, but if you were to say to the television network, ‘Here’s a show you can program in the worst time slot you got, and it is going to guarantee you winning Friday night for the next 15 years,’ it would be almost impossible to believe,” he said.
“My frustration is the show was always taken for granted because it performed from the get-go. So how do I feel? It’s going to take a long time to sort all of this out.”
Ahead of the premiere of the show’s final season, Wahlberg, 55, expressed his gratitude to the Big Apple, where the show was largely filmed.
The final episode of “Blue Bloods,” which is titled “End of Tour,” is slated to air on Dec. 13.
