Tom Selleck's Wife Knew He Had A Crush On This A-List Actor
Even celebrities have celebrity hall passes. Tom Selleck and his wife, Jillie Mack, have been married since 1987. They don't have an open relationship by any means, but Selleck has divulged the very specific parameters Mack gave him regarding a potential rendezvous.
In the late 1980s, Selleck and Mack bought the avocado ranch that became their home. Their neighbor from back then was Sophia Loren, an incredibly talented classic Hollywood actor who started her career in Italy but became a recognizable star worldwide. She slowed down her acting career in the '80s. In a 2007 interview with Contactmusic, it was revealed that Selleck had a crush on Loren and explained what Mack told him about that.
"It had to happen just like this, if I was on my way to Home Depot and [Loren] was out on the driveway in her bathrobe and she said exactly these words: 'Thomaso, would you like a cappuccino?' I could go in," Selleck said. "But it never happened and she sold it." Despite the jokes about an affair with Loren, Selleck is a family man through and through.
Tom Selleck took an acting break for Jillie Mack
When Tom Selleck first laid eyes on Jillie Mack in 1983, she was dressed as a cat. Not for kicks, but because of her role as Rumpleteazer in "Cats" the musical on the West End. Tom was in London to film "Lassiter" and went to see the musical many, many times. "They had dinner one night and it went on from there," Mack's agent said in an interview with People.
Mack later moved to the U.S. and had a few appearances in Tom's show "Magnum, P.I." They got married in 1987 after using pseudonyms to plan the event. Tom stepped back from acting and his successful run on "Magnum, P.I." so he could focus on Mack and on building a family. In 1988, around the time he left the role, they bought their avocado ranch. Tom and Mack's daughter Hannah Selleck was born in December 1988, and she's grown up to be gorgeous and successful. Tom also has an adopted son named Kevin from his previous marriage to Jacqueline Ray.
While speaking to People in 2012, Tom explained that he was glad he made the choice to take an acting hiatus. "My first priority is time with my family," Selleck said, believing that putting his career on the back burner was beneficial.
Tom Selleck loves being with his wife
Tom Selleck talked about the benefit of his acting break in other interviews too. While speaking to People in 2020, he told the outlet that being famous is overwhelming at times. Although he liked being on "Magnum, P.I.," it didn't allow him the time he needed for his personal life: "And I wanted a three-dimensional life because I didn't have one." Later Selleck added, "I'm proud of my work, I still love what I do, and I have my family. I've been enormously fortunate."
The "Blue Bloods" actor and his partner Jillie Mack never go all out for Valentine's Day, though. In a 2007 Good Housekeeping interview, Selleck said they aren't big on the holiday. "We try to celebrate the fact that this is a daily commitment, and pay attention to each other every day," he said. He quipped how that answer was genuine and not an excuse to skimp on a present.
Selleck also divulged their marriage's "secret" and said it's all about being married to someone you both "love" and "like." "I just still enjoy my wife's company enormously," Selleck said. "She's hilariously funny, and we make a point, no matter how busy we are, to stop and spend time together. We make sure we sit down and enjoy a nice long dinner."