The CBS series “Blue Bloods” is one of the most successful shows in the network’s lineup, primarily due to the characters that have been around since day one. Even after a memorable “Blue Bloods” Season 12 finale, the series boasts some of the best characters on TV in the Reagan family. While the heart of the family is Police Commissioner Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck), he is surrounded by relatives who are no strangers to the justice system. Among them is the family patriarch, also a former police commissioner, Henry Reagan, played by Len Cariou.
A few years ago, Cariou got back to his roots by assembling a Broadway show that included Shakespeare with Broadway music, an idea that he had 50 years before. When he spoke about “Broadway and the Bard” in an interview with KCAL9, he revealed that the success of “Blue Bloods” had encompassed his life. “The success of ‘Blue Bloods’ kind of took over my life at that time, seven, eight years ago,” Cariou said. “In the middle of the third season, I thought, ‘Well, you know, I haven’t been singing very much, and I hadn’t done Shakespeare in a while. I think I’m finally going to put it together.'”
Few television shows run as long as “Blue Bloods,” but one particular person has not been surprised by its longevity: Cariou’s wife, Heather Summerhayes.
Cariou’s wife predicted it would last a decade
In an interview with TheAltWeb (via The Outsider), Len Cariou talks about acting alongside Tom Selleck and playing his father, even though they are only a few years apart in age. In the interview, he says that he is having a blast working with him and that the veteran TV actor (who made his name on “Magnum P.I.” and as Richard on “Friends”) is definitely their brave leader.
He also revealed that, while he had his reservations about the series, his wife had a premonition about the way the show was going to go. “‘This program,’ my wife said, ‘you’re going to get this role portraying Tom Selleck’s father, and it’ll run for 10 years,'” Cariou said. “I was amused by her. To begin with, Tom and I … Who’s going to believe me when I say I’m Tom Selleck’s father? We’re only a few years apart in age.”
Of course, she ended up being right, and the network has renewed the show over and over for more than a decade. As Season 13 of “Blue Bloods” is now airing, Cariou may be at a point where he will have to listen to his wife more often when choosing roles. Actually, he may not have to look for a new part anytime soon, as “Blue Bloods” is still going strong. In fact, in a recent interview with TV Insider, Selleck revealed that he is open to even more seasons. “I’ve got a mortgage,” he said. “I’m game!”
