‘Blue Bloods’: Frank’s Surprising Delinquent Past Came to Light Trying to Help His Old Friend
Most of the Reagans are in law enforcement on Blue Bloods. Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck) is at the top of the chain as police commissioner. But fans were surprised to find out he didn’t always live by the law. Find out how the show revealed his delinquent past and more.
Tom Selleck learned from real police commissioners to play Frank
Selleck revealed his inspiration for Frank was partially former New York police commissioner Bill Bratton. He told TV Insider, “Bratton had a lot of influence on me. I read his book Turnaround, about his first time on the job, under Rudy Giuliani. Though they were on the same page philosophically, there was a lot of conflict between the mayor and his police commissioner.”
However, he doesn’t want the show to use real news as inspiration to write episodes. “It’s lazy and inappropriate to rip things from the headlines,” said the actor. “There’s stuff on the show that seems very timely, but really was developed months before.”
Selleck later said, “When we do handle difficult storylines, we feel a responsibility to show both sides in a dramatic way. Not balance for balance’s sake, but because it makes Frank stronger if you don’t dumb down his opponents.”
He was a delinquent as a teenager
The police commissioner reflected on his past when he has to help his old friend, Chuck Kennedy (Edward Asner) in the episode “Vested Interests.” He still calls him “Mr. K” and apparently he got Frank to be on the right track.
“I was pretty much a delinquent when I was 13. Sneaking into movies or walking out on a check in a coffee shop was pretty much par for the course,” Frank told Abigail Baker (Abigail Hawk.) He added, “Mr. K made me feel that he saw something better in me. And believe me, he was the kind of guy who’d get your attention.”
Frank used to work for Mr. K at the movie theater. He revealed that he convinced him to pursue a career in law enforcement.
“And next to you, Pop probably the biggest influence on me becoming a cop,” Frank said to Henry (Len Cariou) at family dinner. “Mr. K was closing up one night” remembered Frank. “He said to me, ‘Kid, hardly anybody gets to be in the movies. But you can be a part of adventures that they make movies about.'”
Erin (Bridget Moynahan) asked if that means wanting to serve the public had nothing to do with him becoming an officer then. “I was kid. I wasn’t that high-minded,” Frank admitted.
Fans were surprised by Frank’s past
Hawk tweeted during the episode. She shared her reaction to Frank sharing his past with her character.
“I love the candor and respect Frank and Baker share. No holds barred. Honesty is always the best policy,” she tweeted. Fans also had their own reactions to Frank’s past.
“So, Frank liked to play Dine-N’-Dash back in the day. Neat. #BlueBloods,” one fan tweeted. Another tweeted, “Still trying to picture Frank as a delinquent. #BlueBloods.”
Frank has certainly changed from how he was as a teenager. Now fans know what led to that change.
