Tom Selleck and wife Jillie Mack are now living their best life surrounded with nature and animals in their 65-acre ranch in Hidden Valley, California. And probably one of the secret ingredients of their three-decade-long marriage is that the Hollywood actor always makes sure he gets up before his wife to put on the teakettle. According to him, that way, when she gets up, she would already have hot water for her morning tea. And as one quote goes, “Gestures, in love, are incomparably more attractive, effective and valuable than words.”
So, let’s go down memory lane back in 1983 when the couple first met each other and where one of the greatest love stories in the industry started.
First Chapter: The Lady’s First Move
Before Tom Selleck met the yin to his yang, Jillie Mack, he was first married to model Jacqueline Ray. The couple met on the set of his hit series Magnum, P.I., where he played the lead character Thomas Magnum. The romance between the two quickly blossomed, and they tied the knot on May 15, 1971. But after eleven years together in constant scrutiny, they finally called it quits.
So, when he found love again, he made sure to protect it fiercely.
It was 1983. Selleck was filming for his movie Lassiter in London’s cold West End when his crew members took him along to the production of Cats. There he met 25-year-old Jillie Mack, who played the role of Rumpleteazer, and she definitely caught the eye of the actor. In an interview with Ryan Seacrest and Kelly Ripa, Selleck shared that he thought she looked good in a leotard, although for him, she had too much personality.
But despite being one of the most sought-after actors of his time, he had never been a ladies’ man. He said that with women, he was always somewhat shy and not exactly brimming with confidence. Luckily, Jillie took the first step and made the first move for their relationship. She had to go on stage at the time, and he was still hemming and hawing when she finally asked if he wanted to meet for a cocktail.
And that was it. The two hit it off and started dating. When Mack finished her contract with Cats, she moved to Hawaii, where Selleck was filming. And soon enough, they started appearing together – from award shows to Tom’s Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Who is Tom Selleck’s wife, Jillie Mack?
Tom Selleck’s wife, Jillie Joan Mack, was born on December 25, 1957, in Devizes, Wiltshire, England. She was born in a middle-class family, but apart from that, there’s hardly any information about them. At a very young age, she developed an interest in dance, and her parents got her enrolled in dance classes. Then from dancing, she got into acting. By the time she finished high school, she already did numerous theatrical productions and pursued it until college.
Her breakthrough came with her appearance in the theater production of Cats in London. But not only was the show a success, it was also a success in her love life as it was where she met her now-husband, Tom Selleck. After Cats, she moved to the US, where she made her TV debut in the hit CBS action-drama series Magnum, P.I.
Aside from that, she also played the lead character Joanie in Silverfox, co-starring with actor James Coburn. She also made a few guest appearances in the hit series Frasier, ER, Tales from the Darkside, and Adventures of Nicholas at Roaring Camp, to name a few. Though Tom Selleck’s spouse didn’t have much success in the entertainment circuit as an actress, she still earned a hefty $10 million net worth.
Second Chapter: The Secret Wedding
The couple got hitched on August 7, 1987, in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, which was arranged by Selleck’s brother Bob. But the interesting part of the secret wedding was that they disguised themselves as Tom Jenkins and Suzie Mark, and the minister didn’t know their real identities until they recited their vows.
The wedding was very simple and low-key. The pair arrived at the venue wearing casual clothes, and they just changed into their wedding attires. Then they went inside the Victorian-style chapel and exchanged vows in a double-ring ceremony attended only by their families. The actor also only had polaroid photos of the wedding so that negatives couldn’t be leaked to the media.
More than a year later, on December 16, 1988, the couple welcomed their first and only child, Hannah Margaret Selleck. In the same year, Selleck also purchased their now 65-acre ranch after filming the last episodes of Magnum, P.I. According to Tom Selleck’s wife, Jillie, Tom knew that he needed to buy back his anonymity and replenish his soul, and the ranch was the perfect way to do just that.
Third Chapter: The Controversy
Marriages go through highs and lows. In 2015, the couple experienced probably one of their challenges. At the time, there was a water crisis, and communities needed to cut water usage by 25 percent. Their ranch with all those avocado trees needed a lot of water, and they found themselves getting sued by a utility company after they allegedly stole truckloads of water from a neighboring community’s fire hydrant for two years. Nevertheless, there were no criminal charges pressed as the two parties reached settlement.
Tom Selleck and his wife Jillie Mack got through it and are now married for 33 years!
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Jillie Mack, Tom Selleck