When Abigail Hawk was only 28, she landed the role of a lifetime in a new TV series called Blue Bloods, which stars Tom Selleck, Donnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan and Jennifer Esposito.

The show centers around a fictional New York City police commissioner, Frank Reagan, the patriarch of a cop family.

Baker, whose previous credits include 1995’s TV series Reality Check with Ryan Seacrest, one episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and minor roles in film, admits at the time, she was “greener” than her co-stars.

But levelling the field, Selleck made her feel more comfortable. “I have a seat at the table with him if that makes sense,” Hawk said. “Even though I’m much younger than him, much greener in every sense of the word, he never makes me feel less than…We talk on the same level.”

In fact, it was the man with the signature moustache who gave her character a real identity.

“Originally, [Abigail Baker] did not have a last name. She did not have an age. She did not even have a gender. She did not have a race. She did not have an anything. She was either detective Mel or Melissa. So, no first name. Definitely not my first name,” Hawk shared. “I got the role and about two to three episodes in Tom [Selleck] decided to change it to Abigail because he thought Melissa was too ordinary, which I guess is a compliment – so I’ll take it.”

Crediting the star of Magnum P.I. with giving her character life, she adds “He obviously thought it was very important for me to have a last name since I was a person on the show. So, they gave me a full-fledged identity and that was all him.”

Now in her 13th year on the show, Hawk is more comfortable working alongside some of Hollywood’s biggest names in one of TVs most popular shows.

Finding balance

While her character on Blue Bloods continued to develop, Hawk also had to adapt to the demanding shooting schedule while also carving time for her growing family.

The police procedural show, that requires actors to be in New York for filming, can be difficult for some actors, like Selleck, who lives on an avocado farm in Hidden Valley, California.

The star of Three Men and a Baby, a veteran with 59 years of experience, knows how to equally prioritize personal and professional activities.

“It took a long time to get off the train, but I try very hard to have balance, and this ranch has helped me do that.” Selleck, who’s amassed a fortune from his iconic roles, tells People, “I’m a fairly private person. And I’ve always treasured the balance between work and time with my family. It’s always about them.”

Much like her character on the show, who closely follows a schedule determined by the commissioner, Hawk in real life follows the work timetable developed by Selleck.

Speaking of Selleck’s strategy for filming, Hawk said in an interview with The Actor’s Audience on YouTube, “I really work on Tom’s schedule, which is great. He kind of bookends his episodes together. He’ll film like the last four days of one episode and then the first four days of the next and then he goes back out to LA to be with his family.” She continues, “So that whole time, I can either work on another project or I’m home with my kids. I’m telling you, it’s the best gig in the world.”

‘I absolutely adore Tom’

While it’s obvious Hawk admires Selleck for his genius time management, she also praises who he is off screen.

Gushing over the leading man on Blue Bloods, she says, “I absolutely adore Tom and I’m exceedingly grateful for him. He has really been a huge champion of mine…I appreciate the fact that he recognized that I had a lot I want to say in the industry and he’s a huge advocate for women.”

That support for women was evidenced when Hawk was absent after having her baby boy. The actor portraying Frank Reagan holds immense respect and admiration for his co-star. In a notable gesture, he stepped in to cover for the actress during her absence following her pregnancy.

“Tom Selleck literally rewrote a scene around the delivery of my son, which is a pretty awesome legacy,” she said after her baby boy was born.

Paying it forward

Recently, Hawk offered the same support that she was shown by Selleck to cast member Jessica Pimentel, who played Detective Laura Acosta in one episode in 2023.

Sharing a series of photos of the two on set, Hawk writes on Instagram, “The admiration I have for this human right here. She is bold, unapologetic, kind, powerful, balanced, nuanced, talented, versatile…full of surprises and boundless depth…keenly observing her work ethic and dedication, her careful and specific choices, her freedom and fearlessness on stage.” The post continues, “She dazzles in all she does! I remain in awe of you.”

What an awesome cast!

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