In the late 1980s, Tom Selleck of “Magnum P.I.” fame was one of the most in demand actors in Hollywood, and producers and directors wanted him for all kinds of projects. That’s why it came as a huge shock to everyone when Selleck withdrew from the spotlight at the height of his fame to devote himself to his family.

At the time, Selleck was a divorced 38 year-old who was in London filming the movie Lassiter. His costar Jane Seymour noticed that he was going to the West End every night, and he kept telling her how incredible the show “Cats” was.

“I thought it was good, but I couldn’t see going back a dozen times,” Seymour said.

However, Selleck was not going just to see the show. Instead, he had become enamored with 25 year-old Jillie Joan Mack who played Rumpleteazer.

Selleck finally asked Mack on a date, and the rest was history. Mack soon moved to Hawaii to be with Selleck while he filmed “Magnum P.I.,” and they have been inseparable ever since. In 1987, the year before “Magnum P.I.” ended, Selleck married Mack in a ceremony that was so secret that even the priest who was hired to conduct the rituals did not know who he was officiating for until the last second.

Selleck had tons of opportunities after “Magnum P.I.” was over, but he turned them all down to be with his wife, and later their daughter Hannah, on their farm in California.

“I worked 90 hours a week and did a movie every break. I quit Magnum to have a family,” Selleck said in 2012. “It took a long time to get off the train, but I try very hard to have balance, and this ranch has helped me do that. My first priority is time with my family. It’s important to nurture your marriage.”

“I think wanting time away from work has been good for that,” he added.

Being away from the Hollywood spotlight helped Selleck’s daughter have a normal childhood.

“It was the best environment for her to grow up,” Selleck said, adding that he bonded with Hannah over chores and other aspects of farm life.

Selleck’s pro-family attitude is a rare one in Hollywood, which makes it all the more refreshing. God bless him!