As grizzly-looking Tom Selleck prepares to make a Hollywood return, the star reflects on his career, politics and Princess Diana - and brings back a nostalgic artifact from his glory days

Grasping onto the glory days?A grizzly-looking Tom Selleck took a trip down memory lane when he broke cover in Los Angeles recently wearing a treasured reminder of his iconic Magnum, P.I. stint, the Daily Mail can reveal. The veteran actor, 81, was spotted getting his fast food fix at a McDonald's in the San Fernando Valley early last week - all while sporting a familiar relic from his heyday.Exclusive Daily Mail photos captured Selleck - a military veteran himself - wearing the same Vietnam-War era baseball cap that his famed screen character, Thomas Magnum, wore in the hit 1980s TV series for the solo lunch outing. Once known for his slick hair and suave mustache, a bearded and bleary-eyed Selleck could be seen chowing down on a burger and Coke in the comfort of his own car. His apparent taste of nostalgia kicked in just as the Emmy winner has been wading back into the world of showbiz - some two years after he abruptly retreated following the cancellation of his beloved Blue Bloods series. Tom Selleck, 81, took a trip down memory lane in Los Angeles last week when he was spotted wearing a hat from his iconic role on Magnum, P.I. as he made a pitstop at McDonald's The former heartthrob, who is a military veteran himself, sported the Vietnam-war era baseball cap when he played Thomas Magnum in the hit 1980s TV series for the solo lunch outingDespite shying away from the spotlight in recent years, Selleck has been giving sporadic interviews of late that have ensured his name is inching its way back into relevance. Selleck, whose most recent screen credit involved narrating a documentary celebrating America's 250th birthday, has opened up about everything from his long-running career to his close friendship with President Ronald Reagan and even sharing a dance with the late Princess Diana. The actor was famously pictured twirling Diana around when he was invited to a star-studded state dinner for the British royals at the White House in 1985 during the Reagan administration. In an interview with CNN, Selleck revealed he was actually told to step in after John Travolta took to the floor with her too many times. 'She was having the time of her life,' Selleck said. 'This woman comes over, a British woman, and she says "This is terrible, Mr Travolta is dancing a second dance with the princess. We don't want to start any rumors. You must cut in." Once known for his slick hair and suave mustache, a bearded and bleary-eyed Selleck could be seen chowing down on a burger and Coke in his car At one point, Selleck was spotted wiping his mouth clean with a huge napkin as he devoured the fast food in the parking lot of the Golden Arches The veteran actor, 81, was spotted getting his fast food fix at a McDonald's in the San Fernando Valley early last weekElsewhere in that interview, Selleck chimed in about his close bond with Reagan - but stopped short of discussing his own political beliefs when probed about President Donald Trump.'He's certainly a mixed bag,' Selleck said when asked for his thoughts of Trump's running of the country. 'I stay out of the current political world. Why piss off half the country when you're in the business of entertaining people?' His refusal to be dragged into politics, though, still sparked backlash.Viewers were quick to drag the actor on social media, with some left convinced the film star was a MAGA supporter. And Marvel actress Tatiana Maslany went on a podcast accusing him and other celebs of being 'cowardly' for not using their fame to push politics. Selleck's return to the headlines has coincided with news that he would finally be making a return to the small screen - two years after the Emmy winner's Blue Bloods series was abruptly axed. The actor recently opened up about sharing a dance with Princess Diana when he was invited to a star-studded state dinner for the British royals at the White House in 1985 during the Reagan administration Despite shying away from the spotlight in recent years, Selleck has been giving sporadic interviews of late as he makes his way back into the world of showbizThe actor, who starred as NYPD Police Commissioner Frank Reagan in the hit drama for 14 years, is now set to appear in an upcoming Apple TV comedy starring Elizabeth Banks. It wasn't immediately clear, though, who Selleck would play or when filming would get underway.Meanwhile, his showbiz comeback comes after fears were starting to grow rapidly about the down-in-the-dumps screen legend's ballooning weight and health following his acting hiatus. Ever since Blue Bloods aired its last episode in December 2024, Selleck has been spotted occasionally out-and-about running errands with a noticeable limp. His grizzly appearance, too, sparked concern given how much it differed from the iconic heartthrob that graced TV screens just a few years back.Selleck was said to be devastated by the show's sudden cancellation - so much so that he weighed suing CBS for ageism, insiders previously told the Daily Mail. 'My frustration is the show was always taken for granted because it performed from the get-go,' Selleck told TV Insider in 2024 shortly after the show was pulled from the air. Selleck's return to the headlines has coincided with news that he would finally be making a return to the small screen - two years after the Emmy winner's Blue Bloods series (above) was abruptly axed'I'm not going to turn into a bitter old guy saying, 'Get off my lawn!' I don't believe in holding grudges, but if you were to say to the television network, 'Here's a show you can program in the worst time slot you got, and it is going to guarantee you winning Friday night for the next 15 years,' it would be almost impossible to believe.' 'So how do I feel? It's going to take a long time to sort all of this out,' he added. Despite his criticism of the network, reports surfaced that Selleck could now potentially claw his way back to the Blue Bloods universe with the show's offshoot series, Boston Blue. Rumors have been swirling that Selleck could join the series, which centers on his TV son Donnie Wahlberg. 'Tom still expects to be paid like it's 1984 and he's on Magnum, P.I. To be fair, a lot of Blue Bloods' early success came down to his high standards and longtime audience,' a source told Radar Online. 'But the baton has been passed to Donnie, and he loves leading the spinoff on his own. He's making a fortune by network TV standards.''It would take financial concessions on both their parts, and that hasn't happened,' the insider added.