Over the last 12 years, Tom Selleck has played Commissioner Francis “Frank” Reagan on the CBS drama “Blue Bloods.” The New York City police commissioner is devoted to his family and keeps his deceased wife, Mary Margaret Reagan’s, memory alive. In Season 11, Episode 4, his daughter Erin (Bridget Moynahan) alluded to the fact that Frank ended a relationship with another woman named Deborah to pursue his late wife (via YouTube). While he did not confirm the romance, his father Henry Reagan (Len Cariou) remembered Frank’s ex-girlfriend fondly.
“Now, there was a bombshell,” mused the former New York City commissioner. Frank refused to comment on the matter, despite his family’s pleas to give them more information about Deborah. “Hey, my lips are sealed,” asserted the father-of-four, which elicited jeers from his children and grandchildren.
As fans are aware, Frank does not appear overly interested in talking about his romantic life or dating. While speaking to Parade in September 2021, Selleck revealed whether fans can expect his character to ever have an on-screen love interest.
Tom Selleck discussed why Frank is not focused on romance
During the Parade interview, Tom Selleck acknowledged that his character is not concerned about his dating life. He explained that Frank is getting older and “still wear[s] his wedding ring,” which may indicate that he is not over his wife’s passing. The “Three Men and a Baby” actor went on to say that Frank is focused on “his work,” leaving little time for him to pursue a romantic relationship. Selleck then discussed the technical aspects of hiring an actress to portray Frank’s love interest. He noted due to the fact his character is “vulnerable” and likely has some commitment issues, a potential romance would have to be explored throughout a few episodes.
“It takes a lot of planning. He’s attracted to women all the time, but dating’s a different thing. I don’t know how you get to a date in one episode,” explained the actor.
Selleck then referenced that he famously guest-starred on “Friends” as Monica Geller’s (Courteney Cox) love interest, Dr. Richard Burke. According to IMDb, the “Magnum P.I.” star appeared in 10 episodes of the show. He noted that whoever is cast as Frank’s girlfriend would likely have to stick around on the series.
“They have to hire somebody who’s willing to, No. 1, make a leap of faith, like I did on ‘Friends’ — there was no script — and have a significant arc. That’s the only way to do it,” stated the actor.