Humility isn’t something people typically associate with Hollywood. But those stars who’ve held onto humility are often some of the most inspiring people in the world. This makes it especially important when they open up and discuss their unique perspective on both life and success. Likewise, it’s even more important when someone who exemplifies both fame and humility decides to talk about their life. Tom Selleck is one of these rare people who’ve hit the top of Hollywood’s fame while still retaining a level of humility that’d be admirable anywhere. He’s been inspiring audiences and actors alike for more than four decades. In a sphere where people often fade out in years, he’s stayed famous for longer than many of his fans have been alive. How does someone stay humble and centered even in the midst of such fame?
For Tom Selleck, the answer comes down to his faith. Selleck is a devout Christian. And he takes his faith to heart. He doesn’t see it as something which only exists in a nebulous spiritual sense. Selleck instead believes that his faith is intertwined with every part of his life. He’s quite open in attributing the various victories in his life to Jesus. However, Selleck explains that this journey to Christ wasn’t always easy. Selleck’s early life was plagued with difficulties. He was born in about as humble an environment as one could imagine. His early life was spent with his blue-collar family in Detroit. His father worked as a carpenter. And his mom stayed at home to take care of the kids. And there were certainly a lot of children to take care of. Tom had three other siblings. A life with such a large family is filled with competition. He was especially set on challenging his older brother Robert. This contentious attitude led to challenges of its own. Tom was often getting into trouble. And this would result in firm reprimands from his father. This style of punishment could even escalate into beatings. Despite these hardships, Tom was set on a firm course. He came of age as a young man who was resolute and sure that he could handle anything life threw at him. He began his professional career by acting in commercials and appearing on The Dating Game.
The path from Detroit to Hollywood isn’t an easy one. But even in those early days, Selleck was certain that his path was paved by his own faith. He kept his Christian ideals at the forefront as he worked his way up on the difficult world of Hollywood. Selleck obviously put a lot of hard work into perfecting his talent as an actor. Part of this came from initial preparation. Part of his talent came from working hard to hone that ability. But Selleck also believes that Jesus played the most important role in that process. From setting down a path to providing the ideals which helped him develop into the person he is today. This also helps to show exactly why Selleck is such a rare example of humility within Hollywood. One might well grow arrogant if he assumes he’s fully responsible for everything in his life. But Selleck instead looks at his life with gratitude. To him, it’s simply the path laid out by his faith. And in seeing the world through that perspective he’s been able to maintain an admirable humility.
