BLUE BLOODS recently paid homage to star Tom Selleck’s past on MAGNUM P.I. with a surprise guest star — MAGNUM P.I. actor Larry Manetti.
Manetti played bar owner Rick Wright on MAGNUM P.I. for all eight seasons of the show, and he was excited to team up with Selleck again.
“Tom Selleck said to the main executive producer, Kevin Wade, ‘I’d like to find a role for my friend Larry Manetti,’” the actor explained. “That was a year or two years ago. Kevin Wade had an accident and hurt his neck and was operated on, so he was cruising television and watched me on several different shows and said to his writers, ‘This Manetti, I’d like to get him on the show. He’s a great character.’”
Manetti ended up in a Season 13 episode of BLUE BLOODS, playing retired police sergeant Sam Velucci. Sadly, he and Selleck didn’t get to share any scenes, but fans of BLUE BLOODS and MAGNUM P.I. are holding out hope for another appearance from Manetti.
Movieguide® previously reported on Manetti’s guest role in BLUE BLOODS:
MAGNUM P.I. fans had a blast from the past as Larry Manetti guest-starred on Tom Selleck’s drama series BLUE BLOODS
“It’s a mini Magnum P.I. reunion, on the set of #BlueBloods this week, with guest star Larry Manetti and Tom Selleck—together again. Wishing the late greats Roger E Mosley & John Hillerman could be here, too,” co-star Donnie Wahlberg posted on Instagram.
The reunion photo features Selleck and Manetti in addition to current BLUE BLOODS cast members Wahlberg, Andrew Terraciano, Bridget Moynahan, Vanessa Ray, Will Estes and Len Cariou.
This will be the first time Selleck and Manetti share the screen in 35 years since they haven’t collaborated since they last appeared on MAGNUM P.I. together. In the show, Manetti played Orville “Rick” Wright, while Selleck portrayed the title character Thomas Magnum.