Tom Selleck's lesser-known TV roles
Tom Selleck, right, as Dr. Richard Burke on "The One With The Proposal" episode of "Friends" that aired Thursday, May 18, 2000. Credit: NBC / Paul Drinkwater
Tom Selleck is best known for playing three enduring characters: small-town lawman Jesse Stone (he reprises the role in Sunday night's Hallmark movie, "Lost in Paradise"), NYPD Commissioner Frank Reagan on "Blue Bloods" and, of course, Hawaii-based private eye Thomas Magnum on "Magnum, P.I." But in his long TV career, Selleck has also taken on some less-prominent roles, like these five:
The Rockford Files (1979-80) Selleck's first major TV role was as recurring character Lance White, a private investigator who constantly confounded Jim Rockford (James Garner) because of the ease with which he solved cases.
B.L. Stryker (1989-90) Selleck was the executive producer of this short-lived detective series starring another mustachioed leading man, Burt Reynolds.
Friends (1996-97) Selleck played Richard Burke, a divorced friend of Monica's (Courteney Cox) parents, who began an on-again, off-again with the much-younger woman.
The Closer (1998) Not to be confused with the hit Kyra Sedgwick series: In his first starring role after "Magnum," Selleck played Jack McLaren, an advertising legend who started his own firm after being fired by his former agency.
Las Vegas (2007-08) In the show's final season, Selleck was brought on to play A.J. Cooper, the new owner of the Montecito Casino, replacing James Caan as the drama's lead.
Andy Edelstein, Newsday's entertainment editor, supervises coverage of TV, celebrities, movies and pop music. He has written three books on popular culture, including "The Brady Bunch Book."
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