starts his memoir in the middle of a car crash. He is 17 and in the passenger seat when he and two friends go airborne in his mom害羞草研究所檚 red Chevy Corvair, tumbling off Mulholland Drive in Los Angeles. Everyone would be eventually fine, but it害羞草研究所檚 a harrowing moment and a unique way to kick off a look back.

害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 an unusual way to start,害羞草研究所� the 害羞草研究所淢agnum, P.I.害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淏lue Bloods害羞草研究所� star admits in an interview. 害羞草研究所淚t seemed like the perfect way to go back a little bit and talk about my upbringing through the bad accident and the ramifications.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淵ou Never Know害羞草研究所� takes readers through Selleck害羞草研究所檚 years at the University of Southern California, in the Army, being bachelor No. 2 on 害羞草研究所淭he Dating Game害羞草研究所� and small roles and commercials before earning an Emmy and lasting fame as Thomas Magnum.

害羞草研究所淚 didn害羞草研究所檛 have one of those headline-grabbing lives,害羞草研究所� the 79-year-old actor tells The Associated Press. 害羞草研究所淭he only way I could make the book entertaining 害羞草研究所� and I think my primary job and goal in this book is to entertain 害羞草研究所� was to get into these stories in a way that the reader got inside my head.害羞草研究所�

Selleck spent four years writing the book longhand on yellow legal pads, quoting from George Will and Raymond Chandler along the way. He would write in the afternoon and read what he害羞草研究所檇 written to his wife at dinner.

The self-portrait that emerges is of an actor who put his head down and worked at his craft 害羞草研究所� he did six unsold pilots and his first big movie was in the unfortunate 害羞草研究所淒aughters of Satan害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� until hitting the big time in his mid-30s.

害羞草研究所淚f Selleck has one thing to sell its authenticity,害羞草研究所� says 害羞草研究所淗e is a guy who knows who he is. He has managed to make a very successful career in a rough business over many decades by finding a way to be himself.害羞草研究所�

Selleck says he had no intentions of writing a tell-all or sharing salacious details of his life, though he does reveal details about his secret marriage to his second wife, Jillie Mack, who he first spotted onstage in 害羞草研究所淐ats.害羞草研究所� (Yes, he fell in love with Rumpleteazer.)

害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 plenty of stuff I have not talked, about and there害羞草研究所檚 plenty of stuff that everybody else has talked about and it isn害羞草研究所檛 really accurate,害羞草研究所� he says.

Readers will learn that Selleck 害羞草研究所� known for his 6-foot-4 matinee-idol looks and build, sense of humor and effortless style 害羞草研究所� was often racked by insecurity and doubts, writing, 害羞草研究所淭hat critic on your shoulder is a formidable opponent.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚 wanted to speak the language of our business to young actors,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not an easy road. The product you害羞草研究所檙e selling 害羞草研究所� when somebody says no, which is 99% of the time 害羞草研究所� is you.害羞草研究所�

Famously, his shooting schedule for 害羞草研究所淢agnum, P.I.害羞草研究所� forced him to decline an offer to play Indiana Jones in 害羞草研究所淩aiders of the Lost Ark,害羞草研究所� a part which went to A Hollywood strike actually made it possible to do both, but Selleck is at peace, writing 害羞草研究所渕y only regret was that the what-if was there from time to time.害羞草研究所�

The role of Magnum 害羞草研究所� a Vietnam war veteran-turned easygoing detective who zipped around Hawaii in a red Ferrari 害羞草研究所� aired from 1980-1988.

Selleck earned an Emmy in 1984 for the episode 害羞草研究所淗ome from the Sea,害羞草研究所� in which Magnum treads water alone in the Pacific Ocean until he is rescued, talking to figures in his past. 害羞草研究所淚 made it, Dad. Why didn害羞草研究所檛 you?,害羞草研究所� the character deliriously asks his father, who was shot down over Korea in 1951. He was thrust into hosting the Emmys on the year he won one.

害羞草研究所淎 part of me was still in host mode. I grabbed my Emmy and ran across the stage to my host podium. I put down my Emmy and looked out at the applauding audience for the first time. When I did, I gotta say, the applause grew louder and stayed that way for quite a bit longer than I expected,害羞草研究所� he writes.

Selleck bet on himself throughout his career, turning down a steady gig on 害羞草研究所淵oung and the Restless害羞草研究所� and showing up for work on the 1979 TV miniseries 害羞草研究所淭he Sacketts害羞草研究所� even though the director made a point of saying he didn害羞草研究所檛 want him.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 most proud that I, as a person, was willing to take risks. They didn害羞草研究所檛 always pay off, but many times they did,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淩isk is the price you pay for opportunity itself.害羞草研究所�

Portraits of other stars also make appearances, like Carol Burnett, Princess Diana and Frank Sinatra, whose last acting job was on 害羞草研究所淢agnum, P.I.害羞草研究所� and who showed off his temper as well as his acting chops while navigating a colostomy bag.

Fans of 害羞草研究所淏lue Bloods害羞草研究所� have to wait for the last few pages to discover that Selleck initially fought for it to be a character-driven show and not a procedural, as the pilot had been. He won and the show is in its 14th season. He writes 害羞草研究所淚 can害羞草研究所檛 be that lucky twice.害羞草研究所�

Selleck writes that he approached his career as a bricklayer, making sure each role was done with the highest quality and then moving on to the next. If that meant pushing back on scripts or budgets, so be it.

害羞草研究所淛ust showing up and getting a paycheck wasn害羞草研究所檛 my idea of the work,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淚 tried to always do it in a businesslike way. You know, not throw tantrums and throw scripts against the wall.害羞草研究所�

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Mark Kennedy is at

Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press