While actor Tom Selleck may be part of the police/drama series, Blue Bloods, his friend and equally legendary TV actor, Larry Manetti, was not wanted by Selleck on the series. In an interview with TV Insider, Manetti revealed that it was because of their rich history working as an iconic duo in the ’80s on Magnum P.I., saying:
“First of all, Tom did not want to put me on the show because he thought it would confuse the audience because of Magnum. Finally, about 1.5 years ago, he told the exec producer/writer Kevin Wade, ‘You know, I’d love to get my friend Larry Manetti on Blue Bloods.”
And as Manetti stated in the interview, it’s not like Selleck stopped him from being in the show, but he was concerned about what would happen if he did come on board the production. And with the rich history and chemistry they share, it’s not hard to see why Blue Bloods may have started looking like Magnum P.I. if Manetti joined.
Tom Selleck and Larry Manetti Have On and Off-Screen Chemistry
It’s not always that two stars share almost a sibling-like chemistry with each other on screen, and it’s even rarer when they do so when the camera isn’t rolling. But this is the reason why actors Tom Selleck and Larry Manetti are considered one of the best duos in the industry today, even after more than three decades since the end of Magnum P.I.
In an interview with PopCulture, Manetti talked about their decades-old friendship, where he talked about their work on Blue Bloods in New York. He revealed how they would spend time after the shoots, enjoying and talking with each other for long periods of time, saying:
“We flew to New York, and we did ‘Blue Bloods,’ and it was heaven. From the moment I stepped on the New York earth, it was just wonderful. Selleck and I had dinner every night with my wife, Nancy, at his favorite restaurant for, I think, six or seven nights. So it was a truly surreal event.”
These interactions were truly special since their legacy on their past series was so iconic; they couldn’t put them together in a scene in Blue Bloods. Thus, despite working on the series together, they couldn’t shoot their scenes simultaneously in proximity.
How Magnum P.I. Made the Selleck-Manetti Duo Iconic
One of the few reasons why Magnum P.I. is considered one of the ’80s most iconic TV series is in part due to the excitement and admiration the audience felt when they watched Magnum and Wright together.
Just like many hit shows do today, the chemistry between Selleck and Manetti’s characters was written like they couldn’t be whole without each other’s support. The main dynamic between them wasn’t that of co-workers, but a ride-or-die brothers-in-arms relationship.
Their presence in the show also complemented each other: Magnum was charming, suave, yet chaotic, while Wright was street-smart, resourceful, and socially aware in spades. And together, working on cases meant one could pick the other up when he lacked.
And finally, since they developed a real friendship over the course of the series, their on-screen chemistry kept getting better over time, which helped in its success and eventually made them and the show iconic.