Tom Selleck Opens Up About Why He Left Hollywood For A Life On His Ranch — ‘I Feel Very Fortunate’

It’s been 50 years in showbiz for actor Tom Selleck, but he’s happy as far away from the spotlight as he can get: at the restored 1910 hunting lodge where he lives on 65 acres in Ventura County, CA. 

“This ranch is a great counterpoint to the acting business, which is an abstraction — you do something, it’s up on a piece of film, and everybody argues whether it’s good or bad,” Tom shared. “You dig a hole and plant an oak tree — and I’ve probably planted a thousand of them — it’s real. It’s there, and you can watch it grow. It’s a lot different from being famous, and it keeps me sane.”

Back in 1988, Tom bought the property from late actor Dean Martin as his final season on Magnum, P.I. came to an end and soon before the birth of his daughter, Hannah. “I quit Magnum to have a family,” the 73-year-old shared. “It took me a long time to get off the train, but I try very hard to have balance, and this ranch has helped me do that.”

That said, Tom has no regrets about leaving Hollywood. “This is the best place to raise a child,” his wife, Jillie Mack, shared. “It was such the wisdom of Tom. He knew he needed to buy back his anonymity, to replenish the soul.”

But just because Tom lives far doesn’ mean he’s stopped acing. In fact, he stars in the hit series Blue Bloods, where he travels back and forth to NYC a few days a week. “This is a different deal than Magnum,” he shared. “I don’t work every day. I don’t love the commute, but that’s OK. I’ve got a job right now that I love.”