06/30 JACK JONES, THE CATALINA JAZZ CLUB, JOE MANTEGNA, GUN STORIES, THE OUTDOOR CHANNEL

JAZZ SINGER JACK JONES – UPCOMING PERFORMANCE AT THE CATALINA JAZZ CLUB, JULY 10-11 

Jack Jones is one of the greatest singers of all time. A true Singers’ Singer and luminary. A double Grammy winner, Jack performs around the globe to sold-out audiences in venues ranging from Jazz clubs to the London Palladium. Jack Jones is the very definition of a complete and total entertainer. The New York Times raves, “he is arguably the most technically accomplished male pop singer…”. There is only one Jack Jones.

Born in Hollywood, California, on the night his singer/movie star father, Allan Jones, recorded his hit, “Donkey Serenade”. Jack would make his famous parents ( his mother was the elegant ’30’s actress Irene Hervey) especially proud of their award-winning son for the diversity and breadth of his talent. Jones attended University High School in West Los Angeles, while also studying drama and singing with private teachers chosen by his father. A young athlete, he gave up his track and football team sports to devote himself to serious study of the arts. Uni High was a school attended by teenagers from all economic walks of life. Ever conscious of his privileged life as the son of a famous show business family, he went out of his way to play down this part of his life with his friends, not knowing that after his graduation and parents’ divorce, he would be financially strapped and have to start from scratch like most of the other students.

One of his most memorable experiences while in high school was when one of his friends, Nancy Sinatra, invited her father to sing in the school auditorium. It left an indelible mark that helped shape Jones’ career choice.

Jones’ professional debut was a brief stint as part of his father’s act at the Thunderbird Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas when he was just 19 years old. He went out on his own three weeks later, working odd jobs including as a gas station attendant, to support himself while pursuing his singing career. His first break came when a demo he recorded for songwriter Don Raye found its way to Capitol Records. While with the label he recorded a few singles and an album, which he admits was mediocre.

Although he eventually left Capitol. One gem from his album, “This Could Be The Start Of Something Big”, caught the attention of a San Francisco club owner who booked him for a three week run at Facks. While performing there, he was discovered by Pete King, a producer and artist for Kapp Records who quickly signed him to the label.

Still working at his “day job” as a gas station attendant when his first album on Kapp was released Jones, while washing a customer’s windshield, was surprised to hear one of his cuts playing on the car radio. He could now legitimately hope that his “day job” days would soon be over.

As his career gained momentum, Jones developed a deep appreciation for well constructed songs that also have emotional appeal. His respect for songs that tell stories with meaning and beauty led him to record works by the greatest balladeers of all time: Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen, Cole Porter, the Gershwin’s, Harold Arlen, Michel Legrand and Alan & Marilyn Bergman. He was inspired by great Jazz instrumentalists he discovered during his teen years such as Gerry Mulligan, Clark Terry, Buddy Rich, Bob Brookmeyer, Dave Pell Octet, Marty Paiche Dectet, Shorty Rogers and the Giants, and Count Basie. Jones’ talent and commitment to his art earned him two Grammy’s for “Best Pop Male Vocal Performance” with his singles “Lollipops and Roses” by Anthony Velona and Bacharach/ David’s “Wives and Lovers”. His release, Jack Jones Paints A Tribute To Tony Bennett, was nominated for “Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance”. He was also nominated for “The Impossible Dream” and his recording of “Wives and Lovers” was nominated for “Record of the Year”. His hit records include “The Race Is On”, “Lady”, “Call Me Irresponsible”,and “What I Did For Love”. On April 13, 1989, he was honored with his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, close to where his father’s star is located.

He is also renowned as a leading interpreter of musical theater -with acclaimed performances in “Guys and Dolls”, “South Pacific”, “She Loves Me”, and “Pajama Game” . Over the years he has guest-starred on countless episodic and/or comedy television series. Most recently he starred as Don Quixote in Man Of La Mancha in the national tour. Most recently, Jack has completed a guest-starring role in the British comedy film: Cruise Of The Gods.
Admirers of Jones’ talent include artists who influenced him as a young singer: Sinatra who said, “Jack is one of the major singers of our time,” Mel Torme called him “the greatest ‘pure’ singer in the world” and legendary composers Sammy Cahn and Michel Legrand.

In 1971, Jones honored Michel Legrand by recording the first complete vocal album in English of the French composer’s songs. Released by RCA, Jack Jones Sings Michel Legrand is an album which exquisitely showcases the vocalists art and a recording that Jones counts as one of his favorites. In 1997 he recorded New Jack Swing for Honest Entertainment, which introduced Jones to a new generation of fans with hip, swing renditions of “Every Breath You Take”, “Have You Ever Loved A Woman”, Keb Mo’s “Dangerous Mood”, “All Or Nothing At All” and the classic “Mack The Knife”.

With over 50 recorded albums (17 of them chanting Billboard’s Top 20) and consistently sold-out world tours, Jack Jones continues to charm audiences with his wit, sensitivity and vocal power. In addition to a successful recording career, Jones’ impressive credits include film and television roles; an internationally syndicated TV variety show; performances at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the White House. He has also performed and later recorded popular theme songs for film and TV (“Love with a Proper Stranger”, “The Love Boat”).

On his second release for Honest Entertainment, Jack Jones Paints A Tribute To Tony Bennett, Jones pays homage to a friend and an American icon. He counts Bennett among those vocalists who most influenced his style (a small but elite group that includes Mel Torme, Sammy Davis Jr., Billy Eckstien, and Frank Sinatra). Professional relationship aside, Jones and Bennett have been friends since their meeting at Chicago’s Palmer House Hotel in the late 60’s when Jones attended the last show of Bennett’s engagement at the Empire Room, before opening in the same room the following night. Of his tribute album, which features some of Bennett’s signature songs, Jones says, “This album is my way of saying thanks to a dear friend.” In selecting songs for this album, he chose three of his personal Bennett favorites, “Skylark”, “Shadow Of Your Smile” and “You Must Believe In Spring”.

2008 marks his 50th anniversary in show business! In the early summer of 2008 the world’s most recognized hotel brand, Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts, launched their “M.B.A.” (Master in Business Accommodations) marketing campaign bringing the timeless voice of Jack Jones singing a new recording of “The Love Boat Theme”. Jones also recently shared his voice with a whole new generation when he sang “Boat of Romance” as part of an episode on the emmy-nominated Disney Channel animated musical television series Phineas and Ferb.

Jack Jones released the next chapter in his long history of making hits, Love Makes the Changes: The Lyrics of Alan and Marilyn Bergman. A tribute to the lives and shared love of Jack’s good friends and celebrated songwriters, Alan and Marilyn Bergman. During their distinguished career, their songs have been nominated for sixteen Academy Awards, for which they have won three: “The Windmills of Your Mind” in 1968, “The Way We Were”: in 1973, and the score for “Yentl” in 1984.

Jack explains the motivation behind the release, “After years of looking for material to record I have finally found it. My dear friends Alan and Marilyn Bergman have had the ideal loving and pure relationship, truly sharing almost every ounce of life. I call them: “THE MASTERS AND JOHNSON OF ROMANCE.” So I wondered, ‘How could they possibly perceive what it feels like when the music doesn’t keep playing?’ Well, on this CD we pay tribute to the most perceptive and creative couple I know. They have inspired me to put many of their wonderful creations into one of my story lines… Each of these song tells part of the story, most of which you and I have lived through. You write your own story as you follow the songs, and even if it doesn’t turn out to be much of a book, it will be one hell of a score.” This CD is available in Itunes for digital downloads and jackjonesmusic.com for tradional CD media.

Today, Jack can be found performing concerts to sold-out audiences around the globe at performing arts centers, casinos, symphony halls and even intimate cabarets. Jones’ musical perfection and vocal passion unfailingly illustrate why he stands with the luminaries.

UPCOMING PERFORMANCES:

• JULY 10-11, 2015 @ 8:30 PM |  THE CATALINA JAZZ CLUB
• HOLLYWOOD, CA    323.466.2210
• AUGUST 22-23, 2015  |   SUNCOAST HOTEL & CASINO
• LAS VEGAS, NV     702-284-7777     877-636-7111

WWW.JACKJONES.ORG


JOE MANTEGNA – ACTOR – NEW SEASON OF GUN STORIES BEGINS JULY 1ST AT 8PM PACIFIC TIME ON THE OUTDOOR CHANNEL 

During his career Joe has portrayed several real people, such as George Raft in Bugsy, Fidel Castro in My Little Assassin, and most notably, as Dean Martin in The Rat Pack. His role as Josh Waitzkin’s father in Searching for Bobby Fischer was based on Fred Waitzkin, who wrote the book upon which the film was based. Joe’s TV-movie debut was as Joe Esposito, Elvis’ road manager and close friend in the 1979 miniseries Elvis starring Kurt Russell.

In 2000, Joe completed production on his feature film directorial debut, Lakeboat, written for the screen by David Mamet from his original play. Starring Charles Durning, Peter Falk, Robert Forster, Andy Garcia, Denis Leary and George Wendt. The film opened the L.A. Film Festival to critical acclaim last fall and made its theatrical release in June 2001.

Joe spent the summer of 2000 in Spain and France filming the feature Off Key with Danny Aiello and George Hamilton. The comedy is about a trio of famed opera singers who unwittingly find themselves reunited at a wedding ten years after their tempestuous breakup.  Joe headlined a series of original films for the A&E Network, based on Robert Parker's popular Spenser detective novels. The first, Small Vices, premiered in summer of 1999 with the second, Thin Air, following in fall 2000.  His last entry to the Spenser series, Walking Shadow, continues to play on A&E. Due to budget cuts A&E has no future plans for more in this series.

Spring of 2001 found Joe in Venice, Italy for several weeks filming the feature, LAGOON.  2001 was a busy year for Joe. He finished production on the SHOWTIME film, Men Vs. Women! that co-starred Paul Reiser, Christine Lahti and Glenn Headly, directed by Chazz Palmenteri.

He also starred as Justice Joseph Novelli in the CBS series First Monday.The series co-starred James Garner and Charles Durning.

Summer 2002 found Joe and his daughter Gina in his home town of Chicago, filming the wonderful slice of life film, Uncle Nino with Anne Archer. Released in 2003, this gem played at selected theaters, including a record breaking run of 43 weeks in Grand Rapids Michigan.

In 2002, Joe starred in the Italian film Pontormo, playing the role of Jacopo Pontormo, an Italian Renaissance painter (b. 1494, d. 1557, Firenze).  Joe also co-starred in Stateside, a drama based on a true story starring Johnathan Tucker and co-starring Val Kilmer, Carrie Fisher, Penny Marshall and Diane Venora.

Joe starred as police chief Will Girardi in the popular and critically acclaimed CBS series, Joan of Arcadia.  Joan received several Emmy and Golden Globe nominations during its two season run from 2003-2005.

In 2005 Joe co-starred in Nine Lives, a film by Rodrigo Garcia that made both Ebert’s and Roeper’s Top 10 List for that year. Captives of the very relationships that define and sustain them, nine women resiliently meet the travails and disappointments of life. Accepted at Sundance, the film also stars Glenn Close, Amy Brenneman, Holly Hunter, Dakota Fanning, Sissy Spacek and Kathy Baker.

In 2006 Joe was involved in several independent film projects including Elvis and Annabelle, West of Brooklyn and Lonely Street. He also costarred with Debora Messing in The Starter Wife by Gigi Levangie Grazer for the USA network.  For this, Joe was nominated for an Emmy in the category of Best  Supporting Actor.  Since 2007 Joe has been back on CBS  as the star of Criminal Minds. On April the 29th 2011 Joe received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, next to his boyhood hero Errol Flynn.  Looking ahead, Joe 's company has it's eyes set on producing. With several  projects in the works including, Memories are Made of This, Tis it the Season, a web-series called Quick Bites and an original  family feature called, The King and Me Joe is a busy guy. 2011 Joe lent his voice to the character of GREM in DisneyPixar's CARS2.  In 2012 Joe completed the feature films The Bronx Bull, Ten Cent Pistol and Compulsion. He also is co-producing a documentary on the late Science Fiction Icon Ray Bradbury that’s due out in 2013.

He currently stars as David Rossi in Criminal Minds as well as hosting and producing duties on “Gun Stories” for the Outdoor Channel.

WWW.JOEMANTEGNA.COM 

06/23 CAROLYN HENNESY

CAROLYN HENNESY CHATS ABOUT HER CAREER AND EMMY SUBMISSION FOR CONSIDERATION

Carolyn Hennesy (Tru Blood, General Hospital, Jessie, etc) has now been submitted for Primetime EMMY consideration, for her portrayal of Penelope Ellis in the series REVENGE.

The character of Penelope Ellis (Carolyn Hennesy) has been described as "Evil draped in pearls, Satin soaked in venom and a walking, talking southern gothic horror story.  Destine to go down in the archives as one of TV's most devious of mother's, Penelope, Louises nightmarish mother, arrives in town. Penelopes been drugging Louise for years to control the family fortune. The drugs have Louise in agony, thinking shes crazy. After discovering the betrayal, Louise threatens to expose Penelope. But mother dearest blackmails Louise into silence with a truly horrifying secret.

About Carolyn
A Los Angeles native and self proclaimed studio-brat, Carolyn has been in over 100 theatrical productions spanning the LA., regional and international theatre scenes.   If you ask her nicely she’ll recite the list of her plays for you and then she’ll recite it again…backwards.  Having trained at American Conservatory Theatre and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London as well as earning a dramatic scholarship to the California State University at Northridge, she has played such distinguished houses as the Mark Taper Forum, Arizona Theatre Company and the Geary Stage.  She also studied with the Groundlings in the early ‘90s and became a member of the Sunday Company.  From there she moved to the main company at the ACME Comedy Theatre and was a founding member of the all-female improv troupe, “Ovaryaction”.  She is the 2001 recipient of the prestigious Natalie Schafer Award for Outstanding Comedic Actress given by the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle and has been featured as an “Actor’s Actor” in the industry publication Backstage-West.   Among other accolades, the LA Stage Alliance has honored her with an Ovation Award, which she hosted in 2011, and in 2010 she added the words “Emmy nominated” (General Hospital) to her list of achievements.

True Blood & More
Most recently,  Carolyn dazzled as the deliciously vicious “Rosalyn Harris” on Alan Ball’s critically acclaimed HBO series TRUE BLOOD.  Hennesy joined the cast for the fifth season of the sleek vampires-meet-world saga and fast became a fan favorite.  As Rosalyn, the ageless vamp with a Texas twang, Hennesy was at the top of her game, tossing one-liners like firecrackers, occasionally enjoying a juicy stake, and gleefully partaking in old-timey interrogation.

Prior to TRUE BLOOD, Hennesy is best known for her memorable work as “Barb Coman” on ABC’s COUGAR TOWN and for an Emmy nominated run as “Diane Miller” on ABC’s GENERAL HOSPITAL.  Kids across America also know her as the hilariously haughty Mrs. Chesterfield on Disney Channel’s JESSIE.  On the big screen, Hennesy’s credits include CLICK starring Adam Sandler, LEGALLY BLONDE 2 with Reese Witherspoon, and TERMINATOR 3 starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

But That’s Not All
Hennesy’s creative endeavors also include a successful career as a writer.  She created the wildly popular “Pandora” (Bloomsbury USA) children’s book series as well as penned the New York Times Bestseller “The Secret Life of Damian Spinelli” (Hyperion).  To see more, click on “Books.”

When not on set, Hennesy is privileged to lend her time and talent to a number of causes including caring for our wounded warriors and helping those with debilitating physical issues regain their self-esteem, but chief among all causes is the issue of animal rescue.

Now, all of that is well and good, but the big news is that Carolyn has become a flying trapeze artist.  No lie.  Just look at her hands.  If you really want to get her talking, just ask her, “Hey Carolyn, how’s that layout coming along?!”

CAROLYNHENNESY.COM

06/16 ROGER CROSS, DARK MATTER, SYFY, MORAN ATIAS, FX, TYRANT

ROGER CROSS – ACTOR, DARK MATTER ON SYFY

Action/Sci-Fi Star Roger Cross Goes Deep into the Unknown in Syfy's Exciting New Space Thriller, Dark Matter  Fridays at 10pm Eastern Time!

The Popular Actor Returns to his Sci-Fi Roots Following Roles in The Strain, Fringe, Orphan Black and The X-Files.

In Syfy's highly anticipated new series Dark Matter  the crew of a derelict spaceship is awakened from stasis with no memories of who they are or how they got on board. Facing threats at every turn, they have to work together to survive a voyage charged with vengeance, betrayal and hidden secrets. Based on the popular graphic novel Dark Matter, the series comes from the writers of the hit Stargate franchise, and also features Melissa O’Neil (Broadway production of "Les Miserables"), Marc Bendavid ("Bitten"), and Jodelle Ferland ("Twilight").

Roger Cross is no stranger to fans of action and science fiction, having appeared in some of the most popular TV series in recent years including The Strain, Fringe, Orphan Black, Continuum, Stargate SG-1, Arrow, 24, The Returned and The X-Files. On the big screen, Roger appeared in such action/sci-fi favorites such as The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Chronicles of Riddick and Oliver Stone's World Trade Center.

WWW.SYFY.COM/DARKMATTER


THE BEAUTIFUL AND TALENTED MORAN ATIAS STARS ON THE HIT FX SERIES…TYRANT (PREMIERES JUNE 16TH)

Best known for her collaborations with producer and director Paul Haggis, Atias starred in the TV series Crash and the film Third Person, with Liam Neeson. She currently stars on the hit FX series… TYRANT

From Emmy® and Golden Globe® Award-winning Executive Producer/Showunner Howard Gordon (24, Homeland), Tyrant tells the story of an unassuming American family drawn into the inner workings of a turbulent fictional Middle Eastern nation. The cast includes Adam Rayner, Jennifer Finnigan, Ashraf Barhom, Moran Atias, Noah Silver, Alexander Karim, Cameron Gharaee, Sibylla Deen and Alice Krige.

Born and raised in Haifa, Israel, Moran Atias made her big screen debut in the critically acclaimed Italian thriller Gas. Atias then went on to star in several other Italian films. After having arrived in Los Angeles for only a few short months, Atias secured the dynamic role of “Inez” in the acclaimed Starz drama series Crash based on Paul Haggis’ Oscar®-winning film. After one season, she became the female lead opposite the legendary Dennis Hopper. After working on Crash, Atias was cast in Paul Haggis’ next film, The Next Three Days, starring Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks. From their work together, Haggis and Atias formed a strong creative partnership and began collaborating on Haggis’ 2014 film, Third Person.

06/09 SPENCER GARRETT, NBC, AQUARIUS

SPENCER GARRETT – ACTOR, NBC’S AQUARIUS

Spencer Garrett has been a perennial favorite among industry execs and fans on both the small and big screen.  HE IS CURRENTLY RECURRING IN FOUR TELEVISION SHOWS: STARZ’ COMPELLING SURVIVOR’S REMORSE, TNT’S MURDER IN THE FIRST, USA’S NEWEST DRAMA SERIES, SATISFACTION AND NBC’S AQUARIUS OPPOSITE DAVID DUCHOVNY AND CLAIRE HOLT.  There are very few actors working in television with such a variety of roles as Spencer Garrett.

On the big screen, Garrett will be seen in the following up-coming films: John Erick Dowdle’s thriller, THE COUP (September 2015), Chris Cordone’s STEVIE D and Stan Harrington’s BELLA.  And earlier this year, he appeared in Michael Mann’s BLACKHAT opposite Viola Davis and Chris Hemsworth.
In addition, Garrett has procured guest starring roles on many of television’s most critically acclaimed shows such as Netflix hit series HOUSE OF CARDS, ANATOMY OF VIOLENCE, Showtime’s MASTERS OF SEX, AMC’s MAD MEN and, CBS’s SCORPION, Nickelodeon’s THE LEGEND OR KORRA , TNT’s MAJOR CRIMES and Michael Mann’s LUCK for HBO.

Third-generation actor, Garrett was born to actress Kathleen Nolan and Richard Heckenkamp, former head of Film Artists Associates.  Raised as a bicoastal resident of both New York and Los Angeles, Garrett grew up in an artist’s environment opportune for cultivating his passion for acting.  Armed with a degree in Theatrical Studies from both Duke and Fordham, along with his lifelong admiration of arts and entertainment, Garrett immerged as an urbane-artist on the Hollywood scene.

Garrett first made his name as a guest star in such television classics as DALLAS, COLUMBO and 21 JUMP STREET, before being cast in lead-roles on countless television shows including: X-FILES, CSI, THE WEST WING, and THE PRACTICE.

In addition to becoming a household TV name, Garrett made his way to the silver screen with features in including Shane Black’s IRON MAN 3 and HITCHCOCK.  Additionally, he starred in CASINO JACK opposite Kevin Spacey, THE WAY opposite Martin Sheen, Michael Mann's PUBLIC ENEMIES, TRANSFORMERS 2, YES MAN, CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR, BOBBY, THANK YOU FOR SMOKING and the classic AIR FORCE ONE.

Off screen, Garrett is an amazing golfer and enjoys spending time with his Hollywood peers and political elites.

06/02 JAMES DARREN, THE MEMPHIS FILM FESTIVAL, TOM SELLECK, MAGNUM P.I., BLUE BLOODS

JAMES DARREN – ACTOR, DIRECTOR & SINGER

James Darren has enjoyed a successful, multi-faceted career, spanning six decades of motion picture, television, recording and live concert performances. With a notable career in films (“Gidget,” “The Guns of Navarone”) as well as television (“The Time Tunnel,” “T.J. Hooker,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”), Darren has re-emerged on the recording scene with his latest CD, Because of You (Concord Records), an impressive collection of standards and big band swing. The album, a follow-up to his acclaimed 1999 release, This One’s From the Heart (Concord Records), reaffirms Darren’s incomparable talents as a singer.

Born in South Philly as James Ercolani, a second-generation American of Italian descent, Darren cites his beloved grandmother as the greatest guiding light of his life and his career. By the age of 14, Darren knew he wanted a show business career, and he embarked on the road to stardom by singing in nightclubs in Philadelphia and South Jersey. By age 18, he was in New York, studying acting for several years with the legendary drama teacher Stella Adler.It was a chance introduction to Hollywood movie producer Joyce Selznick (niece of the legendary David O. Selznick) that led to Darren’s seven-year contract with Columbia Pictures and his first big break: starring as the college student-surfer Moondoggie opposite Sandra Dee in the 1959 classic comedy hit, “Gidget.” Two sequels would follow, and Darren was soon on Hollywood’s short list of most sought-after young dramatic actors. He would make 20 films in all, including “The Guns of Navarone,” “The Lively Set,” “The Gene Krupa Story,” “The Brothers Rico,” “Gunman’s Walk,” “Let No Man Write My Epitaph,” and “Diamond Head.”

Darren’s singing career encompasses an impressive roster of musical credits including 14 albums and five Top 10 singles, including the 1961 Grammy- nominated “Goodbye Cruel World,” which held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts for six weeks. Throughout the early 60s, his recording career continued to skyrocket with subsequent Top 10 hits including “Her Royal Majesty,” “Conscience,” and “All.” In 1976, he landed still another hit with “You Take My Heart Away” from the Oscar-winning film “Rocky.”

Darren would also make his mark on the small screen, starring in several hit television series, including “The Time Tunnel,” “T.J. Hooker,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and “Melrose Place.” In 1987, the versatile entertainer began another phase of his career, this time as a highly in-demand director for television whose credits include several “movies of the week,” and more than 50 television shows ranging from “Melrose Place” and “Beverly Hills 90210” to “Hunter” and “Walker, Texas Ranger.”

But it is James Darren’s love of music that finds him back in the spotlight. In 1999, he returned to the recording industry in a big way, releasing This One’s From the Heart, a collection of some of the greatest classics ever penned, including “The Way You Look Tonight,” “Come Fly With Me,” and “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” which re-introduced the world to Darren’s lush vocals.

In his recordings, his concert appearances in Atlantic City and Las Vegas, as well as his concerts with world-renowned symphonies across the U.S., including the San Diego Symphony, the Dallas Symphony and the Iowa Symphony, the media has also taken notice of James Darren the singer. The San Diego Union-Tribune called him a “compendium of coolness, a wizard of with-it-ness.” The Chicago Sun-Times said “Darren is as smooth as silk.”

Actor, director, recording artist – James Darren has made an indelible mark in the entertainment industry. And as the song says, the best is yet to come.

UPCOMING SHOWS:

June 11-13, 2015
A Gathering of Guns at the Memphis Film Festival
Memphis, TN

WWW.JAMESDARREN.COM


Then...It's a Magnum P.I. Reunion! Tom Selleck Joins the Show!

Thomas William "Tom" Selleck (born January 29, 1945) is an American actor and film producer. He is best known for his starring role as the private investigator Thomas Magnum in the television series Magnum, P.I. (1980 to 1988), based in Hawaii. He also plays Police Chief Jesse Stone in a series of made-for-TV movies based on Robert B. Parker novels. Since 2010, he has appeared as NYPD Police Commissioner Frank Reagan in the drama Blue Bloods on CBS-TV.

Selleck has appeared in more than fifty film and television roles since his initial success with Magnum, P.I., including a co-starring role in the highest-grossing movie of 1987, Three Men and a Baby; Quigley Down Under; Mr. Baseball; and Lassiter, to name a few. Selleck has also appeared as Dr. Richard Burke on Friends, where he played the on-again, off-again love-interest of Monica Geller (Courteney Cox), and A.J. Cooper on Las Vegas.

Career

Early work and Magnum P.I.

Selleck's first TV appearance was as a college senior on The Dating Game in 1965, and again in 1967. Soon after, he appeared in commercials for products such as Pepsi-Cola.

He began his career with bit parts in smaller movies, including Myra Breckinridge and The Seven Minutes. He also appeared in number of TV series, mini-series and TV movies. Selleck also had a recurring role in the 1970s as "too good to be true" private investigator Lance White in The Rockford Files. Lance was very trusting and always lucky, much to the annoyance of Jim Rockford, the show's star private eye played by James Garner. White would frequently say to Rockford, "Don't worry Jim, clues will turn up" and then a clue would just turn up, much to Rockford's consternation, for whom obtaining clues required hard work and hard knocks. Selleck's character was based on one played in Garner's earlier TV series Maverick (1957) by Wayde Preston in the episode "The Saga of Waco Williams".

Selleck, an accessible but relatively untested actor, spent years receiving little interest from the entertainment industry. His big break came when he was cast in the lead role as Thomas Magnum in Magnum, P.I.. The producers would not release the actor for other projects, so Selleck had to pass on the equally enticing film project for the role of Indiana Jones in "Raiders of the Lost Ark", which then went to rising star Harrison Ford. The choice between the roles of Indiana Jones and Magnum actually haunted Selleck so much that before making the decision, he consulted his best friend on what to do. Together they came to the conclusion taking the high road and honoring the first contract with Universal Studios was the career-savvy direction. It turned out shooting of the pilot for Magnum was delayed for over six months by a writers' strike, which would have enabled him to complete "Raiders".

Film

Selleck starred in the 1979 TV movie Concrete Cowboys with Jerry Reed. He starred in a number of film roles during and after Magnum; among the most notable were as an acrophobic police detective in Runaway; as a stand-in father in Three Men and a Baby; and as an American 19th century sharpshooter in the Australian western Quigley Down Under – a role and film that he considers one of his best. His other films include Three Men and a Little Lady; High Road to China; Lassiter; Coma; Her Alibi; An Innocent Man; Folks!; Christopher Columbus: The Discovery; Mr. Baseball; In & Out and The Love Letter.

Selleck is an avid outdoorsman, and a marksman and knowledgeable firearms collector. These interests led him to leading-man cowboy roles in Western films, starting with his role as cowboy and frontier marshal Orrin Sackett in the 1979 film The Sacketts, opposite Sam Elliott, Jeff Osterhage, and Western legendsGlenn Ford and Ben Johnson. He followed The Sacketts with The Shadow Riders in 1982, then portraying a cat burglar in 1930s London in Lassiter in 1984.Quigley Down Under is probably one of his best known Western films, however he also won a "Western Heritage Award" for his 1997 role in Last Stand at Sabre River. His last two cowboy roles to date were in the 2001 TNT movie Crossfire Trail (based on a Louis L'Amour novel of the same name), and the 2003 motion picture Monte Walsh.

He most recently appeared in the film Killers, along with Katherine Heigl and Ashton Kutcher.

Television

Magnum P.I.

Selleck played the role of Thomas Magnum in 1980 after six failed TV pilots. Magnum was a former U.S. Navy Officer, a veteran of a special operations unit in the Vietnam War, who had resigned his commission with the Office of Naval Intelligence and become a private investigator living in Hawaii. The show would go on for eight seasons and 162 episodes until 1988, winning him an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1984. Selleck was famous for his mustache, a Hawaiian-style aloha shirt, a Detroit Tigers baseball cap, and the Colt Model 1911A1 .45 ACP Caliber pistol his character carried. Magnum drove a Ferrari 308GTSi in the series. The model became so identified with the role that Ferrari fans now refer to the red-painted model as a "Magnum" Ferrari.
Selleck has confirmed that he is the most popular choice by fans to play the role of Magnum in the rumoured upcoming Magnum P.I. movie.
Friends

In the late nineties, Selleck played the role of Richard Burke, Monica's boyfriend, at the end of the second season of the hugely successful TV series Friends. Richard was a divorced ophthalmologist who was a friend of Monica's parents, and at first the relationship was hidden from her parents. The relationship eventually ended over Richard's reluctance to commit to raising a family, though Selleck did make a few extra appearances in later shows.

The Closer

In February 1998, Selleck accepted the lead role in a sitcom for CBS called The Closer. In it he played Jack McLaren, a legendary publicist heading up a brand new marketing firm. His costars included Ed Asner, David Krumholtz, and Penelope Ann Miller. Despite the high pedigree, and the expectations for his first series since Magnum, P. I., low ratings caused the show to be canceled after ten episodes.

Jesse Stone series

Since 2005, Selleck has starred in the role of transplanted lawman Jesse Stone in a series of made-for-TV movies based on Robert B. Parker's novels. To date, the series comprises eight films, with the most recent released on May 20, 2012. In addition to his portrayal of the films' protagonist, Selleck now also acts as producer for the series. The fifth film, Jesse Stone: Thin Ice, was not adapted from Parker's novels, but rather an original story by Selleck.

Las Vegas

He joined the cast of the NBC drama Las Vegas in the season-five premiere on September 28, 2007. He played A.J. Cooper, the new owner of the Montecito Casino. He replaced James Caanwho left the cast in the same episode. This was Selleck's first regular role on a drama show since he played Thomas Magnum on Magnum, P.I..

Blue Bloods

Blue Bloods is an American police procedural/drama series on CBS, filmed on location in New York City. Frank Reagan (Selleck) is the Police Commissioner; the series follows the Reagan family of police officers with the New York City Police Department. The show premiered on September 24, 2010.

Other work

Selleck has also appeared in a number of made-for-TV movies in recent years. In particular, he has sought to help bring back to popularity the western, often playing one of that genre's typical characters but thrust into a modern context.

Selleck was offered the lead role of Mitch Buchannon in Baywatch, but turned down the role because he did not want to be seen as a sex symbol. The role eventually went to David Hasselhoff.

Surprising many of his fans, Selleck unexpectedly played the role of General Dwight D. Eisenhower in A&E's 2004 made-for-TV movie Ike: Countdown to D-Day. The movie showed the planning, politics, and preparation for the 1944 Invasion of Normandy, and Selleck was critically lauded for playing a cool, calm Eisenhower.

Selleck appeared in a recurring role on the acclaimed ABC drama Boston Legal as Ivan Tiggs—the troubled ex-husband of Shirley Schmidt (Candice Bergen)—and as novelist Robert B. Parker's character Jesse Stone in several CBS made-for-TV movies, earning a 2007 Emmy nomination for Jesse Stone: Sea Change.

Broadway

In 2001, Selleck played the lead role of Murray in a Broadway revival of Herb Gardner's comedic play A Thousand Clowns. It ran for only two months. Critics, though far from uniformly negative about Selleck's performance, generally compared it unfavorably to that of Jason Robards, Jr., who won awards in the 1960s for playing the character on the stage and in a movie version. (It remains the role with which Robards is most identified.) Playwright Gardner, however, actually preferred Selleck to Robards in the part, and even said that Selleck was the way he had always envisioned Murray.