Known to audiences worldwide for his signature moustache and his starring role in Magnum, P.I., Tom Selleck is a no-nonsense actor whose career has spanned almost six decades.  In his memoir, You Never Know, Selleck delivers an honest and reflective portrait of his career on both the big and small screens, offering insight into the highs and lows of being a household name. 

Selleck does an excellent job crafting a conversational tone in the book, making it feel like you are talking to him one-on-one about his life and career.  He also only delves into aspects of his personal life when they are relevant to his career.  Selleck even mentions this in a passage early in the book:

“When I undertook this project, I made a commitment to share my private, personal emotions and feelings…primarily about my work.  And I promise you, the real story of that work is here for the reader, along with the real truth of my emotional journey” (88).  

For me, I was much more interested in his career than his personal life, so this was an excellent read for those wanting to learn about that aspect of his life.  Selleck doesn’t shy away from discussing the difficult choices, conversations, and career moves that have shaped his philosophy as an actor and his broader perspectives on life.  

The bulk of the book focuses on his time on his long-running series, Magnum, P.I., but we also get some great stories about his early TV and film appearances, as well as his casting in Three Men and a Baby post-Magnum.

I particularly enjoyed his stories of working with James Garner on The Rockford Files and how Garner’s ability to make everyone on the set feel welcome informed how Selleck treated the cast and crew on Magnum, P.I.

I wish the book were longer.  There are several movies that Selleck was involved in that I would have loved to hear about, but the narrative jumps abruptly from Three Men and a Baby to Blue Bloods.  It’s possible that those film sets were free of issues and lacked any substantive stories, which is why they were omitted; however, perhaps he’s planning a second book that includes them.  

Guess we’ll find out eventually.

I’d also like to know if it was a tough decision for him to shave his moustache in the ‘90s for roles in films like In & Out.  Did he do it for the character, or just because?  I need answers, Tom!

You Never Know: A Memoir by Tom Selleck is an excellent read.  He seems like a genuinely nice guy who would be fun to have a beer with, hang out with, and listen to his stories.  

A definite recommend.