Top 10 movies featuring Tom Selleck
Tom Selleck's career has spanned decades and fans know him for his charm and versatility. Since achieving stardom by playing Thomas Magnum in Magnum, P.I., fans have expressed love for his easygoing charisma and trademark mustache.
The TV actor has also made a mark through several popular films, including Three Men and a Baby and Quigley Down Under.
Today, Tom Selleck has found new life on the small screen by playing New York City Police Commissioner Frank Reagan in Blue Bloods. Here is a list of 10 of his best films that every fan should enjoy.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are solely those of the author. Individual opinions may vary.
In & Out, Jesse Stone, and more — 10 best Tom Selleck movies that you should watch
1) Lassiter (1984)
Lassiter, a 1984 film starring Tom Selleck, takes the audiences away to pre-World War II London, where suave charm and high society intrigue are at the top of the bill. Selleck stars as Nick Lassiter, a dapper, international jewel thief with a penchant for dangerous heists.
With British and American intelligence agents finally driving him into a corner, Lassiter is then met with an ultimatum: either steal a cache of Nazi diamonds from a highly secured embassy or go to prison. He partners up with his lover—played by Jane Seymour—and a disparate bunch of allies.
The film has elements of a thriller: part love story, part action-adventure showcasing Selleck's suppleness on-screen and roguish charm. Lassiter gives audiences a rather heady journey through the dense world of espionage, where any wrong move may be his last.
2) Three Men and a Baby (1987)
In the 1987 comedy blockbuster, Three Men and a Baby, Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, and Ted Danson play three hard-partying bachelors whose lives take an unexpected turn. Living in a plush Manhattan apartment, the discovery of a baby girl abandoned at their front door turns the trio's lives upside down,
Selleck plays the role of sensible architect Peter, who is joined by his friends Michael and Jack, to survive the chaos of diapers, feedings, and sleepless nights. As these men stumble upon fatherhood, the wonders and travails of bringing up a baby unfold, and they build a patchwork family.
Full of laughter and touching moments, Three Men and a Baby depicts Selleck's comic gifts and a heartwarming, vulnerable charm never seen before. This lovable story was so successful that it spawned the sequel Three Men and a Little Lady in 1990, where the trio is lugged into the vortex of new comedic misadventures as the little girl grows up.
3) An Innocent Man (1989)
In the thrilling drama movie, An Innocent Man, Tom Selleck depicts Jimmie Rainwood, an innocent man wrongfully accused and framed by the ruthless system. Rainwood is an honest aircraft mechanic, but his life spirals out of control when police acting under the influence of bribes raid his home and arrest him on charges of drug peddling.
Falsely accused of a crime and imprisoned, Rainwood receives extreme treatment in prison from both his fellow inmates and the prison wardens. Selleck gives a detailed and realistic performance of Rainwood, who transforms from a peaceful person to a man fighting for justice and revenge.
An Innocent Man is about justice and personal integrity while categorically illustrating the adversities of corrupt systems, which makes the viewers sit on the edge of their seats.
4) Quigley Down Under (1990)
In the Western adventure Quigley Down Under, Tom Selleck takes the viewers to the difficult terrain of the Australian Outback. In the movie, Selleck portrays Matthew Quigley, an American marksman who goes to Australia to work for a wealthy farmer, Elliott Marston, portrayed by Alan Rickman.
Quigley believes he’s hired to eliminate wild dogs, but upon arrival, he discovers Marston’s sinister intent: the genocide of indigenous people. When Quigley does not join the killing, the inverse happens: he becomes an object of the tyrant’s vengeance, using his weapon skills to guard the helpless. Besides spirited Cora, played by Laura San Giacomo, Quigley comes out of his solitary shell and engages in a violent confrontation with Marston’s tyranny.
Boasting picturesque views with the classic good-vs-evil conflict, Quigley Down Under is a heroic and big action-shooter film that presents Selleck in full glory.
5) Mr. Baseball (1992)
In the 1992 comedy Mr. Baseball, Tom Selleck plays Jack Elliot, a brash American baseball player whose career is on the decline. After being unexpectedly traded to a Japanese team, Jack's world turns upside down by as he adjusts to cultural differences and hugely contrasting styles of Japanese baseball.
He clashes at the beginning with his new teammates and his very strict manager. With a combination of humor, humility, and romance with a beautiful local woman, Jack gradually warms up to his surroundings. Selleck's powerful performance in Elliot's shift from arrogance to respect and teamwork pays off in good-hearted laughs.
Mr. Baseball is a heartwarming insight into personal growth, cultural exchange, and the universal love for the game.
6) In & Out (1997)
The 1997 comedy film In & Out, starring Tom Selleck, deals with issues of one’s identity and acceptance in a rather funny and touching manner. Kevin Kline plays Howard Brackett, a small-town English teacher whose life undergoes a transformation when one of his former students publicly discloses his sexuality during the Academy Awards acceptance speech.
Selleck plays Peter Malloy, a smooth-talking television journalist who is quite fixated on getting the story of Howard. As Howard navigates his newfound fame, Peter becomes a pillar of support during the turmoil. This heartfelt movie is full of humor and is accompanied by a beautiful message of acceptance and self-love.
7) Last Stand at Saber River (1997)
In the 1997 western drama Last Stand at Saber River, Tom Selleck gives a gripping performance as Paul Cable, a Confederate soldier fighting to get home after the Civil War. With thoughts of starting life afresh, Paul finds his Arizona homestead taken over by Union sympathizers.
While on a quest to retake his property and win back his estranged family, he refuses to be foiled by those unwilling to give up their power. The film works up to a suspenseful, riveting confrontation that challenges Paul in the most personal ways. Selleck skillfully captures the struggle of Cable while exploring themes of family, honor, and redemption.
With steeped vistas and frantic action sequences, Last Stand at Saber River prepares one for a story about courage and the indomitable spirit of the American frontier.
8) Monte Walsh (2003)
In the 2003, Western Monte Walsh, Tom Selleck plays the role of an aging cowboy who faces the end of the Old West. Set towards the end of the 1880s, Monte Walsh and the other cowhands struggle to survive as the open range vanishes and civilization is eventually closing in on their way of life.
Monte's faithfulness to the cowboy code gives him strength and staying power, treading his way through shifting times. Together with his best friend, Chet Rollins—played by Keith Carradine—he navigates adversity and difficulties that test both their friendship and survival. The movie delicately captures Monte's tale of love, loss, and fighting for a rapidly fading frontier spirit.
Selleck's tough but sentimental turn emphasizes an eternal struggle between heritage and development, making Monte Walsh into a touching ode to cowboy legacy.
9) Jesse Stone: Stone Cold (2005)
In Jesse Stone: Stone Cold, the 2005 crime drama based on Robert B. Parker’s book, Tom Selleck plays a disillusioned and highly intelligent police officer Jesse Stone who works in the rather idyllic town of Paradise, Massachusetts.
Alcoholism and memories of the past are the two challenges that accompany Stone as he investigates a series of chilling murders that interrupt the calmness of the town. Thanks to his determination and elevated sense of perception, he unveils a variety of deception and fraud, demonstrating Selleck’s capability to depict a multifaceted hero.
This film marked the beginning of a beloved franchise, followed by several sequels such as Jesse Stone: Night Passage, and Jesse Stone: Sea Change. Each of these films provides a further development of the character and Stone’s obsession with avenging crime while struggling with his internal issues.
10) Meet the Robinsons (2007)
The character of Cornelius Robinson in the 2007 animated adventure Meet the Robinsons is voiced by Tom Selleck. The plot revolves around a young orphan and genius inventor Lewis who has a dream of having a family. When his latest invention explodes, our hero meets Wilbur Robinson, supposedly a boy from the future.
Peculiar and lovable as they are, they come across the Robinson family during the time travel experience. The turning point in the story happens when faced with the appearance of the future and the significance of his inventions, Lewis learns useful things about himself and life, such as the importance of perseverance, family, and understanding one’s calling.
Selleck’s voice gives a comforting and assertive note to Cornelius, which is symbolic of the movie’s powerful themes of hope and the infinite opportunities of the future. In short, Meet the Robinsons is a colorful and creative film that surrounds the audience with a loving message of believing in oneself.
Tom Selleck is an actor whose versatile filmography continues to enrich American cinema and has made a lasting impact on Hollywood. While there are many more films in his repertoire, fans should not miss out on the movies listed above.