Tom Selleck's long-awaited biography is here, I can only recommend reading "You Never Know". The way Magnum came about after the humbling experience of 10+ years in the trenches. Also, Mr. Selleck finally gets to write the whole story on how he was - almost - cast as Indiana Jones, a question he has already answered in numerous interviews. But since this is the John Wayne forum, how is Tom Selleck's memoir relevant here?
First off, the name of John Wayne comes up several times, although he never met him, Wayne's presence as an industry giant was obviously an influence. Selleck was on the Fox Talent program and trained with Melissa Newman, who soon made her debut in "The Undefeated" alongside John Wayne (as Rock Hudson's daughter).
Better yet, Tom Selleck got close to John Wayne in a way that is only possible in the film world: when the costume department gave him his shirt for his first big role in "The Sacketts", he noticed that the label on it was made out to John Wayne (one those purple shirts that Wayne wore in his last westerns) - they had the same size.
In "The Sacketts", Selleck was able to learn from co-star Ben Johnson (who told him what John Ford's last words were on his deathbed), and when the aspiring actor asked director Burt Kennedy about his special hat, shaped in the style of John Ford's cavalry, Kennedy arranged for costume maker Luster Bayless - he was Wayne's costumer during his final years - to make one for him as well, which Selleck still owns to this day.
When it came to creating the character of Magnum, he remembered John Ford's advice - handed down by Ben Johnson - to always start with the hat. So Selleck thought about what this ex-military man would wear and came up with the baseball cap.
In 1989 he finally had the chance to film with John Wayne's offspring: in "Her Alibi" he played with Patrick Wayne.
