Thomas Magnum
Encyclopedia
Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV was the main character and namesake of the popular American television series, Magnum, P.I.
. Magnum was portrayed by Tom Selleck
.
He was born in Detroit, but raised in the region of Tidewater, Virginia. In high school, his football team won a Virginia State football championship. Some members of his family, including his mother, still reside there. (as seen and referenced in various episodes)
In addition to English, Magnum speaks French and Vietnamese, but not Mandarin.
baseball fan), but of American football (having been a former quarterback
for the Navy, he evinced an intense fondness for the annual Army–Navy Game that often worked its way into plot lines), and during varied episodes he tried out for a professional football team, coached and played both basketball
and softball
, and participated in the Ironman Triathlon
. Magnum regularly worked out on a surf ski and participated in local competitions, and enjoyed daily swims in the tidal pool off Robin's Nest.
Magnum was an Everyman
in the sense that his lifestyle represented every man's dream: coming and going as he pleased in an island Paradise, working only when he wanted to, the almost unlimited use of a Ferrari 308 GTS and other luxuries, a miniature refrigerator filled with a seemingly endless supply of beer, interaction with innumerable beautiful women, and adventures with his best buddies usually on his own terms.
It became apparent during Season 1 that Magnum was a fan of the bands Styx
, Jefferson Starship
and Blondie
but also admitted to owning cassettes of Bach
and Beethoven, mainly to appease Higgins.
beer in a long-neck bottle, though he enjoyed sneaking fine wines out of Robin Masters's wine cellar when he believed Higgins was not looking. Among his trademarks was his "stuff," souvenir possessions collected over the years such as baseball bats and gloves, a gorilla mask, and a rubber chicken. He also owned a VHS tape of "Stalag 17", his favorite movie. His personal weapon, seemingly carried with reluctance, was a Colt Government Model .45 ACP
, which is Colt's commercial version of the standard military-issue M1911A1. A genuine Gauguin
hung on the wall of the guest house he occupied, he had free use of Robin’s Ferrari 308 GTS, and he often bartered with Higgins for use of expensive cameras, the tennis courts, and other accouterments of rich living.
Perhaps his most valued possession was his late father's Rolex GMT Master
aviator's wristwatch. Magnum's father was a Naval Aviator
killed in the Korean War
when Magnum was only five. In early seasons Magnum also wore a Chronosport Sea Quartz 30, a dive watch used by Navy SEALs. He, along with Rick and T.C., wears a team ring with a Croix de Lorraine on it from their time in Vietnam.
, and simultaneously took on the role of responsible father, at the end of the show's run was only superficially surprising; his character had been meandering toward that responsibility in small increments for years.
, Class of '67 or '68, depending on the episode referenced. While at the Naval Academy, he dated Ginger Grant, who became a professional tennis player and came back into his life in the episode "Mixed Doubles."
, rising to the rank of Lieutenant
before resigning from the service in disillusionment in 1979. (He was later promoted to commander
when reinstated by the President of the United States of America, in a ruse to whisk him away from Hawaii to Washington D.C., due to fear he would interfere with a sensitive diplomatic mission.) Magnum was a Vietnam War
veteran
and a former POW who believed his wife Michelle died in bombing during the final pull-out from Saigon. He served in both the SEALs
and Naval Intelligence
during his Navy years, and as such maintained many contacts in both "communities." In scenes in which he wore his uniform with decorations, it could be seen that Magnum was awarded the Navy Cross
in Vietnam. In the final episode of Magnum P.I. in 1988, Thomas returned to active duty in the Navy at the rank Commander (O-5). He no doubt would have served in the Persian Gulf War, and probably retired, with thirty years of service, in the late '90's with the rank of Captain (O-6).
"beach bum" in Hawaii
who, despite irregular employment, nevertheless managed to live a comfortable existence thanks to celebrity author Robin Masters's offer of the guest house on his Hawaii estate "Robin's Nest" and use of his red Ferrari 308 GTS
in exchange for quality control of the estate security. In the course of the series, Magnum and his friends became involved not only in typical "P.I." cases but also a wide variety of adventures involving espionage
, covert operations, paramilitary
escapades, and "lifestyles of the rich and famous
." The private investigator/"beach bum" mix allowed the mix of a strong comic element into the action-drama series.
Magnum often appeared in either khaki shorts or blue jeans (Navy-issue swim trunks, or Levis), an Aloha shirt
, and Sperry boat shoes or white Puma Easy Rider Sneakers, usually without socks. He often wore battered baseball caps of his favorite sports teams, the Detroit Tigers
or USC
.
and Theodore "T.C." Calvin
, and their friendship not only survived but flourished under the eccentricities each showed the others, and the extreme, sometimes perilous stresses they shared. His other close friendship, of a love-hate nature, was with Jonathan Quayle Higgins III (referred to by T.C. as "Higgy-baby"), the ostensible Majordomo (domestic staff)
of the estate where Magnum was a perennial guest (or in Higgins’ view, moocher). Magnum persistently tried to foil Higgins’ efforts to impose an orderly regimen on Magnum’s disordered lifestyle, as they traded verbal jabs and one-ups-manship games with each other.
Magnum lived in the guest house on Robin Masters' estate, Robin's Nest, as part of his being in-charge of security on the estate, which likely explains the almost unlimited access to the Ferrari.
Other friendships were woven throughout his encounters in the series. He continuously took advantage of Lieutenant "Mac" MacReynolds, a Navy officer and intelligence source for many of his cases, but was devastated when Mac was killed in an assassination attempt on Magnum by "Ivan," a Soviet intelligence operative who had also overseen the torture of Magnum when he was a POW in Vietnam. For almost every season in the series, Magnum's investigations paralleled and sometimes crossed those of Honolulu Police Lieutenant
Tanaka, with the obvious respect they held for each other going well beyond a shared enjoyment of the Detroit Tigers. Magnum maintained friendships with women as well, most notably Assistant District Attorney
Carol Baldwin and Lieutenant (later Lieutenant Commander) Maggie Poole, MacReynolds' successor. Magnum was no less apt to exploit his friendship with Carol or Maggie as he was his male friends, and no less loyal. Numerous episode plots featured "old friends" calling on Magnum for help, requests he always honored, even when helping conflicted with his best judgment.
In "Memories Are Forever" (November 1981) Magnum reconnected with his once presumed dead wife Michele. Unbeknownst to Magnum at the time, they conceived a daughter during that meeting. The girl, Lily Catherine Hue, was raised as the daughter of Michele's second husband, and appeared in four episodes ("Little Girl Who", "Limbo", "Unfinished Business", and "Resolutions"). By the end of "Resolutions", Lily's mother and legal father were dead, and she was adopted by Magnum, who returned to his career as an officer in Naval Intelligence to provide her with a more stable home.
Magnum, P.I.
Magnum, P.I. is an American television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from 1980 to 1988 in first-run broadcast on the American CBS television network....
. Magnum was portrayed by Tom Selleck
Tom Selleck
Thomas William "Tom" Selleck is an American actor, and film producer. He is best known for his starring role as Hawaii-based private investigator Thomas Magnum on the 1980s television show Magnum, P.I.. He also plays Police Chief Jesse Stone in a series of made-for-TV movies based on the Robert B....
.
Early life
Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV was born between 1944 and 1947, with August 8, 1945 fitting the most references. Both his father and grandfather were naval officers.He was born in Detroit, but raised in the region of Tidewater, Virginia. In high school, his football team won a Virginia State football championship. Some members of his family, including his mother, still reside there. (as seen and referenced in various episodes)
In addition to English, Magnum speaks French and Vietnamese, but not Mandarin.
Personality
Magnum was endowed with a rich assortment of personality traits, quirks, and preferences. He was an avid sports fan, not only of baseball (he was a lifelong Detroit TigersDetroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
baseball fan), but of American football (having been a former quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the Navy, he evinced an intense fondness for the annual Army–Navy Game that often worked its way into plot lines), and during varied episodes he tried out for a professional football team, coached and played both basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, and participated in the Ironman Triathlon
Ironman Triathlon
An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation consisting of a swim, a bike and a marathon run, raced in that order and without a break...
. Magnum regularly worked out on a surf ski and participated in local competitions, and enjoyed daily swims in the tidal pool off Robin's Nest.
Magnum was an Everyman
Everyman
In literature and drama, the term everyman has come to mean an ordinary individual, with whom the audience or reader is supposed to be able to identify easily, and who is often placed in extraordinary circumstances...
in the sense that his lifestyle represented every man's dream: coming and going as he pleased in an island Paradise, working only when he wanted to, the almost unlimited use of a Ferrari 308 GTS and other luxuries, a miniature refrigerator filled with a seemingly endless supply of beer, interaction with innumerable beautiful women, and adventures with his best buddies usually on his own terms.
It became apparent during Season 1 that Magnum was a fan of the bands Styx
Styx (band)
Styx is an American rock band that became famous for its albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Chicago band is known for melding the style of prog-rock with the power of hard rock guitar, strong ballads, and elements of American musical theater....
, Jefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship is an American rock band formed in the early 1970s. The group is a spin-off from the iconic 1960s psychedelic/folk group Jefferson Airplane. The band has undergone several major changes in personnel and genres through the years while retaining the same Jefferson Starship name...
and Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
but also admitted to owning cassettes of Bach
Bạch
Bạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
and Beethoven, mainly to appease Higgins.
His "Stuff"
Magnum’s drink of choice was Old DüsseldorfAltbier
Altbier is a German top-fermenting beer brewed in Düsseldorf and other parts of North Rhine-Westphalia.The name Altbier, which means old beer, refers to the pre-lager brewing method of using a warm top-fermenting yeast...
beer in a long-neck bottle, though he enjoyed sneaking fine wines out of Robin Masters's wine cellar when he believed Higgins was not looking. Among his trademarks was his "stuff," souvenir possessions collected over the years such as baseball bats and gloves, a gorilla mask, and a rubber chicken. He also owned a VHS tape of "Stalag 17", his favorite movie. His personal weapon, seemingly carried with reluctance, was a Colt Government Model .45 ACP
.45 ACP
The .45 ACP , also known as the .45 Auto by C.I.P., is a cartridge designed by John Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic .45 pistol and eventually the M1911 pistol adopted by the United States Army in 1911.-Design and history:The U.S...
, which is Colt's commercial version of the standard military-issue M1911A1. A genuine Gauguin
Paul Gauguin
Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin was a leading French Post-Impressionist artist. He was an important figure in the Symbolist movement as a painter, sculptor, print-maker, ceramist, and writer...
hung on the wall of the guest house he occupied, he had free use of Robin’s Ferrari 308 GTS, and he often bartered with Higgins for use of expensive cameras, the tennis courts, and other accouterments of rich living.
Perhaps his most valued possession was his late father's Rolex GMT Master
Rolex GMT Master II
The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date GMT Master is part of the Rolex Professional Watch Collection. Designed in collaboration with Pan Am Airways for use by their pilots and navigators, it was launched in 1954.-History:...
aviator's wristwatch. Magnum's father was a Naval Aviator
United States Naval Aviator
A United States Naval Aviator is a qualified pilot in the United States Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard.-Naming Conventions:Most Naval Aviators are Unrestricted Line Officers; however, a small number of Limited Duty Officers and Chief Warrant Officers are also trained as Naval Aviators.Until 1981...
killed in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
when Magnum was only five. In early seasons Magnum also wore a Chronosport Sea Quartz 30, a dive watch used by Navy SEALs. He, along with Rick and T.C., wears a team ring with a Croix de Lorraine on it from their time in Vietnam.
Character growth
The series was also marked by Magnum's character growth over eight years, shedding an immature and often lazy beach bum streak that at times fostered an occasional callous hardness and a tendency to resolve problems by violence. Yet the change was subtle, almost imperceptible, and throughout it, he managed to maintain the humor and other appealing traits which drew his friends (and viewers) to him. That he went back into the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, and simultaneously took on the role of responsible father, at the end of the show's run was only superficially surprising; his character had been meandering toward that responsibility in small increments for years.
Annapolis
Magnum attended the United States Naval AcademyUnited States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
, Class of '67 or '68, depending on the episode referenced. While at the Naval Academy, he dated Ginger Grant, who became a professional tennis player and came back into his life in the episode "Mixed Doubles."
Active Duty
He served ten or more years as an officer in the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, rising to the rank of Lieutenant
Lieutenant (naval)
LieutenantThe pronunciation of lieutenant is generally split between or , generally in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Commonwealth countries, and or , generally associated with the United States. See lieutenant. is a commissioned officer rank in many nations' navies...
before resigning from the service in disillusionment in 1979. (He was later promoted to commander
Commander (United States)
In the United States, commander is a military rank that is also sometimes used as a military title, depending on the branch of service. It is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the military, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Naval rank:In the United States...
when reinstated by the President of the United States of America, in a ruse to whisk him away from Hawaii to Washington D.C., due to fear he would interfere with a sensitive diplomatic mission.) Magnum was a Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
and a former POW who believed his wife Michelle died in bombing during the final pull-out from Saigon. He served in both the SEALs
United States Navy SEALs
The United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
and Naval Intelligence
Office of Naval Intelligence
The Office of Naval Intelligence was established in the United States Navy in 1882. ONI was established to "seek out and report" on the advancements in other nations' navies. Its headquarters are at the National Maritime Intelligence Center in Suitland, Maryland...
during his Navy years, and as such maintained many contacts in both "communities." In scenes in which he wore his uniform with decorations, it could be seen that Magnum was awarded the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
in Vietnam. In the final episode of Magnum P.I. in 1988, Thomas returned to active duty in the Navy at the rank Commander (O-5). He no doubt would have served in the Persian Gulf War, and probably retired, with thirty years of service, in the late '90's with the rank of Captain (O-6).
Military Decorations and awards
Serving as a Navy SEAL from the late sixties to the late seventies (then the late eighties to the nineties), would have likely earned Lieutenant (later Commander) Magnum the following medals and ribbons (even though he rarely, if ever, wore all of them): Navy Cross, Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Prisoner of War Ribbon, Navy Expeditionary Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Medal w/ Palm Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Navy Expert Rifle Medal, and the Navy Expert Pistol Medal. Thomas would have earned a second National Defense Service Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal with two battle stars, the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), and the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Government of Kuwait) for service in the Persian Gulf War and Operation Desert Storm.Private investigator
After leaving the Navy, Magnum became a largely penniless private investigatorPrivate investigator
A private investigator , private detective or inquiry agent, is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private detectives/investigators often work for attorneys in civil cases. Many work for insurance companies to investigate suspicious claims...
"beach bum" in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
who, despite irregular employment, nevertheless managed to live a comfortable existence thanks to celebrity author Robin Masters's offer of the guest house on his Hawaii estate "Robin's Nest" and use of his red Ferrari 308 GTS
Ferrari 308 GTB
The Ferrari 308 GTB are mid-engined sports cars manufactured by the Italian company Ferrari in the 1970s-1980s. They made up the lower end of the company's range...
in exchange for quality control of the estate security. In the course of the series, Magnum and his friends became involved not only in typical "P.I." cases but also a wide variety of adventures involving espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
, covert operations, paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
escapades, and "lifestyles of the rich and famous
Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous
Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous is a television series that aired in syndication from 1984 to 1995. The show featured the extravagant lifestyles of wealthy entertainers, athletes and business moguls....
." The private investigator/"beach bum" mix allowed the mix of a strong comic element into the action-drama series.
Magnum often appeared in either khaki shorts or blue jeans (Navy-issue swim trunks, or Levis), an Aloha shirt
Aloha shirt
The Aloha shirt commonly referred to as a Hawaiian shirt is a style of dress shirt originating in Hawaii. It is currently the premier textile export of the Hawaii manufacturing industry. The shirts are printed, mostly short-sleeved, and collared. They usually have buttons, sometimes as a complete...
, and Sperry boat shoes or white Puma Easy Rider Sneakers, usually without socks. He often wore battered baseball caps of his favorite sports teams, the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
or USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
.
Friends
Magnum regarded friendship as perhaps the most important element of life for him, and the theme of friendship ran throughout the many episodes. His most enduring friendships were with his former Vietnam comrades, Orville "Rick" WrightLarry Manetti
Larry Manetti is an American actor best known for his starring role as Orville "Rick" Wright on the long-running CBS television series Magnum P.I. which starred Tom Selleck as the title character. He also starred as Maj. Pappy Boyington's pilot partner, Lt. Bobby Boyle, in Baa Baa Black Sheep...
and Theodore "T.C." Calvin
Roger E. Mosley
Roger Earl Mosley is an American actor best known for his role as the helicopter pilot Theodore "T.C." Calvin on the long running television series, Magnum, P.I., which starred Tom Selleck as the title character.-Early life:...
, and their friendship not only survived but flourished under the eccentricities each showed the others, and the extreme, sometimes perilous stresses they shared. His other close friendship, of a love-hate nature, was with Jonathan Quayle Higgins III (referred to by T.C. as "Higgy-baby"), the ostensible Majordomo (domestic staff)
Majordomo (domestic staff)
A majordomo is a person who speaks, makes arrangements, or takes charge for another. Typically, the term refers to the highest person of a household staff, one who acts on behalf of the owner of a typically large residence...
of the estate where Magnum was a perennial guest (or in Higgins’ view, moocher). Magnum persistently tried to foil Higgins’ efforts to impose an orderly regimen on Magnum’s disordered lifestyle, as they traded verbal jabs and one-ups-manship games with each other.
Magnum lived in the guest house on Robin Masters' estate, Robin's Nest, as part of his being in-charge of security on the estate, which likely explains the almost unlimited access to the Ferrari.
Other friendships were woven throughout his encounters in the series. He continuously took advantage of Lieutenant "Mac" MacReynolds, a Navy officer and intelligence source for many of his cases, but was devastated when Mac was killed in an assassination attempt on Magnum by "Ivan," a Soviet intelligence operative who had also overseen the torture of Magnum when he was a POW in Vietnam. For almost every season in the series, Magnum's investigations paralleled and sometimes crossed those of Honolulu Police Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Tanaka, with the obvious respect they held for each other going well beyond a shared enjoyment of the Detroit Tigers. Magnum maintained friendships with women as well, most notably Assistant District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
Carol Baldwin and Lieutenant (later Lieutenant Commander) Maggie Poole, MacReynolds' successor. Magnum was no less apt to exploit his friendship with Carol or Maggie as he was his male friends, and no less loyal. Numerous episode plots featured "old friends" calling on Magnum for help, requests he always honored, even when helping conflicted with his best judgment.
Family
After Magnum's father's death, his mother Katherine married Frank Peterson. They had a son Joey, who ran away for reasons unknown before dying while serving in Vietnam. Magnum also has an aunt, Phoebe Sullivan, who is a novelist, and a cousin named Karen.In "Memories Are Forever" (November 1981) Magnum reconnected with his once presumed dead wife Michele. Unbeknownst to Magnum at the time, they conceived a daughter during that meeting. The girl, Lily Catherine Hue, was raised as the daughter of Michele's second husband, and appeared in four episodes ("Little Girl Who", "Limbo", "Unfinished Business", and "Resolutions"). By the end of "Resolutions", Lily's mother and legal father were dead, and she was adopted by Magnum, who returned to his career as an officer in Naval Intelligence to provide her with a more stable home.