Tom Selleck's Blue Bloods Character Has Landed Him Real Law Enforcement Cred

Tom Selleck currently stars as New York Police Commissioner — and head of the family — Frank Reagan on the hit police drama, "Blue Bloods." Before taking on the role, Selleck was best known for other roles involving law enforcement, including "Magnum, P.I." and the "Jesse Stone" TV movie series. It might surprise some people to learn that part of Selleck's role in the series originates in the world of genuine police work. Former New York City Police Commissioner Bill Bratton is actually the real-world law enforcement official who provided loads of inspiration for Selleck on "Blue Bloods."

In an interview with TV Insider celebrating the milestone of 250 episodes of "Blue Bloods," the actor opened up about why he believes the CBS show is still so successful: it's a character-driven show. "The cop drama is a backdrop for the lives of the five main characters. The audience is so in the heads of these characters that the biggest jeopardy in our show is often when one of the relationships in the Irish Catholic family looks like it's going south," he explained.

Given Selleck's long history of work in law-enforcement-centered TV series, some may wonder how the actor is greeted when he is seen by real-life law enforcement.