Why Shows Like The Simpsons Convinced Tom Selleck To Play Blue Bloods’ Frank Reagan

Tom Selleck says he took on the role of Frank Reagan in “Blue Bloods” because of how fathers are portrayed on television — with shows like “The Simpsons” serving as a point of comparison.

“I took the role of Frank Reagan because, as far as I can tell, patriarchs aren’t treated well on TV these days. Often they’re portrayed as idiots, like Homer Simpson,” Selleck told Television Academy’s Emmy magazine in 2013. “In this show you have a patriarch who is a positive influence. I’m a spokesman for the National Fatherhood Initiative, and I think it’s important to discuss the role of fathers.”

Selleck has continued to speak about TV dads in the years since. In a January 2024 interview with TV Insider ahead of the show’s 14th and final season, he said that playing a “flawed but strong father” is what made him the most proud of “Blue Bloods.”

“On television and commercials, Dad is usually the idiot. It’s not my mission on the show, but the by-product is an example of an important patriarch to the family,” Tom Selleck explained to TV Insider. “That’s getting rarer in our culture.”

Selleck has described Frank Reagan as a strong but imperfect father figure — someone who can make mistakes while still trying to lead his family.

“I’m playing the patriarch of a family,” the actor told CBS News in 2012. “I think Frank is sometimes an idiot and sometimes makes mistakes, but part of what he tries to be is a good dad.” 

As the show’s central authority figure and proud patriarch, Selleck is the cornerstone of the Reagan family’s weekly dinners, which serve as a regular check-in amid the demands of their lives in law enforcement. In those scenes, Frank is often a steady presence for his family, offering a source of support that carries through the series.

Those moments reflect the kind of TV dad Selleck has said he set out to portray, with Frank’s leadership and guidance on full display.