Inside Tom Selleck's Ranch Where He Escaped from L.A. to Plant Oak Trees & Write an 'Intimate Memoir' of Private Life

Tom Selleck is famous for his role in the hit series "Magnum, P. I," which made him work so hard that he had to re-learn how to balance his work and personal life. The actor found refuge in his ranch and enjoys doing chores around it daily, and now he gets to have his six grandchildren join him.

Tom Selleck became famous when he landed the role in "Magnum, P.I." where he starred as investigator Thomas Magnum. The series earned him several awards, including an Emmy. However, in his younger days, Selleck admitted that he got into big trouble that he regrets.

Selleck was adored for his looks, but the actor said he did not always have the confidence or a smooth tongue when it came to women, especially after he divorced his first wife. However, his second wife, Jillie Mack, became someone he could build a connection with after they met backstage at the production of London's "Cats," where she was a performer.

The Wiltshire, England-born actress made things easy for Selleck by making the first move. Selleck struggled to get the bravery to approach her, so instead, just before going on stage, Mack asked him to go out for a cocktail after the show. Fate was on their side, and they fell in love before marrying in 1987. Hannah was their only child, and she was brought up out of the spotlight.

Selleck now has six grandchildren from his first child and son from his first marriage, Kevin. He loves them dearly and is happiest when they visit him on his California ranch. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the star wished to see them more but had to be extra careful because his current show, "Blue Bloods," would be nothing without him.

He loves his ranch, which he purchased after "Magnum, P.I." wrapped in 1988. The series had consumed so much of his time that he felt the need to isolate himself to regain his sanity, so he took a break from acting and found peace in planting oak trees.

Selleck revealed in an appearance on "The Kelly Clarkson Show" that after 36 years of living on the farm, he still loves to see his trees grow. He joked and said he now has baby, teenage, and adult trees.

Selleck Took a Break from Hollywood to Be a Family Man

Selleck loved his time on "Magnum, P.I." despite the long 90 hours he worked a week. But when the show ended, he took a break to be a present father and husband. They filmed 163 episodes of "Magnum, P.I.," and Selleck said there would have been a lot more to shoot, but he was tired of the role because he was in every scene.

It eventually dawned on him that having a good work-life balance was something he desperately needed, despite him confessing how difficult the transition was. Ultimately, the ranch became the perfect escape for him.

Now Selleck films "Blue Bloods" every other week by traveling to New York. When he gets a break from filming the television show, he shoots a movie for about a month then he's back to focusing on his family.

Selleck loves how his ranch contrasts his Hollywood life. After filming a movie, the media usually goes abuzz with criticisms about how good or bad the film is, and the actor shuts out all the noise by appreciating his growing trees.

As simple as planting trees sounds, Selleck loves it because it's something tangible to watch a living plant blossom, something Hollywood does not allow one to do. Here's a closer look at what his life is like on his land.

What Is Selleck’s Ranch Routine Like?

Early mornings on his 65-acre ranch are what Selleck adores the most. The celebrity wakes up before his wife daily to put the teakettle on so that when Mack arises she finds hot water ready for consumption.

He finds this ritual pretty romantic, and so does his wife, who has stayed with him for 36 happy years. Mack sacrificed her life in England and moved to New York for her love; over three decades later, she has no regrets.

An insider revealed that the actress loves her life on the ranch. The actress' biggest love is taking care of her animals, which include five dogs, whom she reportedly talks to like humans. The Selleck ranch also boasts horses, which the "Blue Bloods" star loves to care for.

They also grow every vegetable and fruit under the sun, including many avocado trees. The ranch is also rich with orchards and has a pond. Maintaining the land is full-time work, but when Selleck is not doing any acting work, he uses that energy to tend to his land.

At 78 years old, Selleck is still fit and energetic. Surprisingly, he hates the gym and believes his work around the ranch is the best way to sweat and burn calories, and he considers it a way to save money because he does not have to hire people for the job.

After a good breakfast, Selleck keeps himself busy fixing fences, feeding the horses and other animals, and cleaning up the weeds around the property. Despite Selleck's six grandchildren and his long list of daily chores around his property, he still hopes to keep himself busy with more grandchildren. He'd love to see Hannah getting married and welcoming more grandchildren for him.

The celebrity and Mack have already given their approval to Hannah's boyfriend and envision the pair marrying on their ranch. In more recent news, Selleck will be releasing his memoir in 2024!

What Will Selleck’s Book Be About?

In late October 2023, it was revealed that Selleck is set to release his memoir, "You Never Know," on May 7, 2024. According to reports, the book will give an "intimate account" of the actor's "remarkable life and thoroughly accidental career."

In it, he addresses the mistakes he's made before and after becoming a celebrity. The memoir is said to be written in "his own voice" and will reveal more about the Emmy Award winner in a "frank, funny, and open-hearted" way.

Fans will get to know more about the distractions and temptations he's experienced throughout the years. The book aims to clear up any misconceptions and will also open up about never-been-told stories from his professional life, his childhood in California, and his personal life.

Fans will read about him being a jock at the University of Southern California as a basketball player. Selleck also touches on how he ended up getting small acting roles in his thirties and his bonds with other celebrities like Sam Elliott and Frank Sinatra.

"Magnum, P.I." fans will get a detailed explanation as to why he left the program when he did and how he's "frequently" had to adjust his acting career. He did this to preserve his family's privacy and to give them protection and a normal life.

The star also addresses his involvement in comedy with his role on "Friends," and his current role in "Blue Bloods." In September 2021, Selleck explained what his memoir would not feature settling scores and mentioning past romantic flings, with him adding:

"There’s a certain level of privacy, but I’m being extremely intimate on the personal effect everything has had on me."

In January 2022, the actor admitted on the "Live With Kelly and Ryan" show that writing his memoir is "hard." At that point, he was only over halfway done with the book, and the delay was because he had other commitments.

The initial title, "I Don't Know Where I am Going, But There's No Use Being Late," was announced on the show as Selleck didn't want the publishers to take it away from him. Sadly, it seems Selleck's team preferred he go with something shorter and to the point.