Here's what became of Tom Selleck and his costars. What happened to the cast of Magnum, P.I.? See the stars over 45 years after making waves in Hawaii Here's what became of Tom Selleck and his costars. By Skyler Trepel March 25, 2026 6:27 p.m. ET Leave a Comment :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/MagnumPIcast0315260f52c8befe864c559733ef7e2e5e0886.jpg) John Hillerman, Tom Selleck, Larry Manetti and Roger E. Mosley in 1985. Credit: Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty A splashy, Hawaiiset crime drama, Magnum, P.I.

Here's what became of Tom Selleck and his costars.

What happened to the cast of Magnum, P.I.? See the stars over 45 years after making waves in Hawaii

Here's what became of Tom Selleck and his costars.

By Skyler Trepel

March 25, 2026 6:27 p.m. ET

Leave a Comment

John Hillerman, Tom Selleck, Larry Manetti and Roger E. Mosley in 1985. Credit:

Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty

A splashy, Hawaii-set crime drama, *Magnum, P.I. *was one of the most popular shows of the 1980s — and it made Tom Selleck one of the biggest TV stars of the decade to boot.

He stars as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator with a complicated past. A former Navy SEAL and specialist for the fictional Naval Intelligence Agency, he now lives a more chilled-out existence working for reclusive millionaire author Robin Masters, cheerfully living off the fat of his beachfront land. Residing in the guest house of the massive estate, Magnum spends his days solving cases, chasing bad guys in his benefactor's Ferrari, and wearing Hawaiian shirts.

The biggest thorn in our hero's side is Higgins (John Hillerman), a by-the-book, former British Army Sergeant Major who runs "Robin's Nest" and thus manages Magnum's day-to-day assignments. Though they gradually develop a charming mismatched-buddy dynamic, our hero is more at home with his war veteran pals, Rick (Larry Manetti) and C.T. (Roger E. Mosley), whose services he regularly enlists while working on cases.

*Magnum, P.I.* became a mainstay at the Emmys, racking up 16 nominations, including wins in the acting categories for both Selleck and Hillerman. The show's popularity has endured, and even got the reboot treatment in 2018 with Jay Hernandez taking the reins.

Without further ado, here's what happened to the cast after Magnum closed his last case.

Tom Selleck (Thomas Magnum)

Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum; Selleck at the 'Blue Bloods' premiere in 2024.

Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty; Gary Gershoff/Getty

Tom Selleck played the smooth, charming, resourceful P.I. Thomas Magnum. He was nominated for five consecutive Emmys and seven consecutive Golden Globes, winning one each.

At the height of his fame following eight seasons, he left the show to spend more time with his family — and less time in the public eye.

"I quit *Magnum*, not because I didn't like it or I was tired of it," Selleck told PEOPLE in 2020. "I was tired *from *it. And I wanted a three-dimensional life because I didn't have one."

The man who was nearly Indiana Jones was also offered (and turned down) the lead role in *Baywatch*, which ultimately went to David Hasselhoff. Instead of more television, he focused on movies. Having scored one major success with *Three Men and a Baby *(1987), Selleck starred in the hit comedy's 1990 sequel as well as *Quigley Down Under *(1990), *Christopher Columbus: The Discovery *(1992), and the comedy *Mr. Baseball *(1992).

The Detroit native made his way back into the Hollywood spotlight thanks to his guest role on *Friends *(1996–2000), as Monica's rich older boyfriend. From there, he became a go-to leading man for TV movies, most notably as small-town police chief Jesse Stone in a series of nine films based on Robert B. Parker's book series.

Later in life, the longtime action star headlined the hit CBS cop drama *Blue Bloods *(2010–2024) for 14 years as NYC Police Commissioner Frank Reagan.

In 2026, it was announced that Selleck will host *Crime and Justice With Tom Selleck* on the History Channel, exploring important criminal cases in American history.

Selleck has been married to Jillie Mack since 1987. They share one daughter, and he also has a son from a previous marriage.

Why do we like Tom Selleck so much?

Tom Selleck on Tom Selleck

Roger E. Mosley (Theodore "T.C." Calvin)

Roger E. Mosley as T.C.; Mosley at the Celestial Awards of Excellence in 2017.

CBS via Getty; Leon Bennett/Getty

Roger E. Mosley played T.C., the fun-loving, intelligent helicopter pilot and successful owner of Island Hoppers, a local tourist charter company. That always came in handy for T.C. when he got involved in one of Magnum's cases… which was often.

With his performance, Mosley made a concerted effort to defy Black stereotypes of the time — including making sure T.C. was a successful business owner, rather than a struggling one. He also flatly didn't want T.C. to party the way the writers wanted him to.

"They keep writing for me to smoke and drink, but I won't do it," Mosley told *Ebony*. "I never get high, smoke or drink on the show or in real life. That's not what I want Black kids to see."

Prior to landing a full-time job on *Magnum*, Mosley had been a regular character actor in both film and television for a solid decade. That included supporting parts opposite John Wayne in *McQ *(1974), Jeff Bridges and a young Arnold Schwarzenegger in *Stay Hungry *(1976), and Burt Reynolds in *Semi-Tough *(1977). He also scored the lead role in *Leadbelly *(1976), Gordon Parks' biopic about famed blues singer Huddie Ledbetter.

Once *Magnum *wrapped up, Mosley kept working on television. He appeared regularly on season 1 of *Hanging With Mr. Cooper* (1992–1993) and later landed another main cast role on *Rude Awakening* (1999–2000). During this time he also hit the big screen for *Heart Condition *(1990), *Unlawful Entry *(1992), and *A Thin Line Between Love and Hate* (1996).

After reuniting with Selleck on an episode of *Las Vegas* (2007), playing a billionaire, Mosley made his final acting appearance in two episodes of the *Magnum, P.I* reboot.

The actor and his wife, Antoinette Laudermilk, were married for nearly 60 years and had three kids together. Mosley died after a car crash in 2022. He was 83 years old.

Larry Manetti (Orville "Rick" Wright)

Larry Manetti as Rick Wright; Manetti at the Silver Spur Awards in 2013.

CBS via Getty; Jennifer Lourie/Getty

Larry Manetti played Rick, the hard working, smooth-talking, well-connected Vietnam vet and owner of the King Kamehameha Club. Manetti also appeared on the reboot as a local lounge legend who helps the new Rick open a bar.

"It was such a thrill to be a part of the new *Magnum, P.I.*," he told TV Line. "Playing Rick in the original series is one of my greatest honors. It was such a privilege working with the whole cast, who are as warm and kind as they are tremendously talented."

The Chicago native landed on *Magnum P.I. *after a two-year run on *Black Sheep Squadron *(1976–1978) and an arc on the original *Battlestar Galactica *(1978).

Once his nearly decade-long hit left the air, he became a regular guest star and ensemble player again, appearing on everything from *Quantum Leap *(1993) to *Walker, Texas Ranger *(1993–2000). He even returned to his Hawaii crime-drama roots with a recurring part on *Hawaii Five-0 *(2013–2016).

The Chicago native reunited with Selleck and Mosley on an episode of *Las Vegas*, and appeared opposite Selleck again on *Blue Bloods *in 2023.

Manetti has been married to his wife Nancy since 1980.

John Hillerman (Jonathan Higgins)

John Hillerman as Higgins; Hillerman at the Cognac Crime Film Festival in France in 1995.

CBS via Getty; Stephane Cardinale/Sygma via Getty

John Hillerman portrayed Magnum's uptight foil, Higgins, who meticulously ran "Robin's Nest" and always made sure the property's prized guest wasn't having *too* much fun.

The actor played the role so effortlessly, one might wonder whether he and Higgins were similar people. Hillerman had a blunt answer.

"I certainly hope not," he joked in a 1982 interview. "I like Higgins though. We're not alike, but I do like him. I enjoy doing that character very much. He's fun in his own way."

Hillerman received multiple Emmy and Golden Globes nominations for the performance, and picked up one trophy from each institution. Prior to his award-winning role, he was one of the most successful character actors in the industry. In fact, his film resume is practically a laundry list of the best movies of the 1970s: *The Last Picture Show *(1971), *Paper Moon *(1973), *High Plains Drifter *(1973), *Chinatown *(1974), and *Blazing Saddles *(1974), among others.

He took a step back from acting once *Magnum, P.I. *concluded. After guest spots on *Around the World in 80 Days* (1989) and a role as Dr. Watson, opposite Edward Woodward's Sherlock Holmes, in *Hands of a Murderer *(1990), the veteran actor joined the cast of *The Hogan Family* (1990–1991) for its final season.

Hillerman retired from acting in 1999, returning to Texas. He died at his Houston home in 2017 at age 84.

- Crime & Legal Dramas

Original Article on Source

Source: "EW Crime"

Read More

---

Source: Crime

Published: March 26, 2026 at 02:00PM on Source: RON MAG

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle