Tom Selleck gave Magnum P.I. crew $1000 bonuses after the studio refused

Last Updated on May 29, 2024

In Tom Selleck’s recently released memoir, You Never Know (via Business Insider), he reveals how he gave the crew of Magnum P.I. bonuses of $1000 after the studio refused.

Tom Selleck was in the process of renegotiating his contract with CBS for what would be the eighth and final season of Magnum P.I. The studio had decreased the budget of the series, but Selleck wanted them to agree to an eight-day schedule as well as a bonus for the crew if they were able to deliver under budget. “The studio said yes to the eight days. But they responded that they could not under any circumstances talk about crew bonuses, that it would set a dangerous precedent,” Selleck said. “They always invoked precedent when you had an original thought beyond their contractual boilerplate. Honestly, that pissed me off.“

Instead of fighting it, Selleck pushed the studio a “substantial” bonus to him, which they naturally agreed to, and when the season had finished shooting, he put his plan in motion with his agent and lawyer. “I called Skip [Brittenham] and Bettye [McCart] and told them to tell Universal — not ask them tell them — to issue thousand-dollar checks to every regular member of our ‘Magnum’ company in both Hawaii and LA,” Selleck explained. “And that since it was coming out of my bonus money, there was no precedent involved.” The studio had no choice but to do it, and Selleck got a nice thank you from the crew.

“When the checks came out, I got a picture from our L.A. crew standing on a bleacher with big smiles on their faces,” Selleck said. “In front of them was a very big oversized check for a thousand dollars. The caption below read, ‘Thanks, Tom. What a ‘grand’ gesture.’ That made me happy.“

Tom Selleck currently stars in Blue Bloods, but it was announced last week that the long-running series would be coming to an end with its 14th season. “For the past 13 years, it has been an honor and a privilege to work on a show that not only celebrates the men and women who protect and serve in New York City, but also displayed the importance of family,” Selleck said in a statement. “Working alongside these incredible actors, writers, producers, directors, and crew has been a dream come true and I’m grateful to have been a part of this extraordinary group for over 275 episodes.“