Tom Selleck

Tom Selleck is not now, nor has he ever been, a candidate for public office. But that doesn`t stop political columnists and entertainment writers from spreading rumors every three months or so about his "bids" for a congressional seat or the White House. It usually makes for halfway decent copy, though writers seldom call to confirm his supposed political aspirations. And though the 55-year-old actor has been registered as an Independent for the past decade, top-level aides to the two major presidential candidates this year have called to ask for political endorsements and personal appearances.

A public figure and a private person, Selleck politely turned both factions down. Selleck probably won`t help his quest to stay politically ambivalent, however, by starring in "Running Mates" (Sun., Aug. 13, 8-10 p.m., TNT), a comedy-drama that airs on the eve of the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles. Billed as a behind-the-scenes peek at presidential politics, the media and Hollywood, he plays Gov. James Reynolds Pryce of Michigan, a man of principle under extreme pressure by the party`s power elite for stubbornly refusing to take on a party hack as his running mate and thereby undermining his position on campaign finance reform.

The handsome 6-foot-4 Pryce (the approximate stature of Al Gore and Bill Clinton) is backed by a handful of glamorous women (some are former lovers) with their own political and personal agendas. Laura Linney (Lauren Hartman) plays his brilliant campaign manager with a heart of stainless steel; Teri Hatcher (Shawna Morgan) checks in as his gorgeous, amoral Hollywood fund-raiser; Faye Dunaway (Meg Gable) is the embittered wife of his political mentor; and Nancy Travis (Jenny Pryce) portrays his seething wife, resentful of being in the public eye.

Of course, some political pundits think that Selleck was more than a mere tourist - perhaps measuring for new drapes - when he visited the White House a couple of months ago.

"It was simply to teach my 11-year-old daughter (Hannah) something about U.S. history and our culture," he says, grinning beneath the bristling trademark mustache he shaved off for the "Running Mates" role. "I`m sure, growing up in Los Angeles, she finds it hard to believe that buildings were constructed more than 30 years ago."

A frequent visitor to the White House during the past four administrations, the Detroit native with a conservative bent had arranged a VIP tour through presidential aides.

"We saw everything and it was very nice for my daughter, though the president was too busy to be there," Selleck jokes.

But he has yet to stay overnight ("I`ve never been asked") and never been offered the Lincoln bedroom for a fee ("I wouldn`t pay for it").

The man who became rich and famous in the title role of "Magnum, P.I." (1980-88) does admit to being a political animal, however, and was not surprised when Gore and George W. Bush asked him to go on the stump.

"I care about the (political) process in this country, and get a lot of political questions on press junkets. But my ethical obligation is to promote `Running Mates,` which happens to be on the same subject, because they paid me a lot of money."

Still, there is a mutual fascination between Hollywood and Washington, according to Selleck, who slowly shifts his large frame in a vain attempt to get comfortable on a small couch in a Beverly Hills hotel room.

"Unfortunately, politics and celebrityhood are getting interchangeable," he observes. "I used my experience of suddenly being in the public eye with `Magnum` for the Gov. Pryce part - I just turned it up a couple of notches.

"Overall, I don`t know how incestuous the relationship is between Washington and Hollywood," he continues, shaking his head. "The irony is that a majority in Hollywood claim to favor limits on campaign contributions, but they are in fact some of the most egregious soft money contributors (legally providing unlimited funds to the party rather than the candidate) there are. I`m for strict limits, let`s say a thousand dollars per candidate. I know for a fact that one thousand dollars buys you zip influence with a candidate. It`s nothing in terms of huge campaigns."

The first time in his adult life that Selleck became excited by politics came during Sen. Eugene McCarthy`s insurgent candidacy in 1968 challenging Lyndon Johnson`s bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.

"When McCarthy beat him in New Hampshire and Johnson decided not to run, I think it changed the course of the (Vietnam) War and the course of the country," he says. "Now we have an incumbent (political) machine that doesn`t allow for insurgent, unless they`re rich guys, because you can`t limit what they spend on themselves. It`s horrible."

Ronald Reagan was the last presidential candidate to truly inspire Selleck.

"Had I not been in Hawaii during the `80s, I probably would have actively campaigned for him," he says. "Ultimately, I didn`t have the time nor the inclination to be there, but I think he made a good president. About 60 percent of the country voted for him; about 80 percent thought he was a terrific president."

An actor and family man, Selleck is perfectly content to do the chores on his 63-acre horse ranch in Ventura County on the outskirts of Los Angeles in the company of his wife, British singer-dancer-actress Jilly Mack, and their English saddle-riding daughter. By all accounts, he is also a doting grandfather to his stepson Kevin`s (by previous marriage to model-actress Jacqueline Ray) 4-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son.

The University of Southern California graduate, thanks to a basketball scholarship, is currently resting up from eating dust and executive producing "Crossfire Trail," a Western based on Louis L`Amour`s novel of the same title - also for the TNT cable network - scheduled to air in January. Early next year, he also starts rehearsing to star in a Broadway revival of "A Thousand Clowns."

Promoting the 1999 feature film "The Love Letter" is far behind him. It is unlikely that Selleck will hype his next project on "The Rosie O`Donnell Show," however, as the pro gun-control talk show hostess took him to task last year for appearing in an anti-gun control ad for the conservative National Rifle Association. He claims that his NRA stance was not a topic mentioned in the show`s pre-interview process and was "ambushed" on the air.

"I was trying to promote `Love Letter,` which was hard enough, considering that her desk was covered with `Star Wars` toys," he recalls. "She was out of line ... and knows it. But she`s never apologized to me, which is when you give `em a call or write `em a note."

(c) Copley News Service.

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Author: Eirik Knutzen