According to TCM, Roger E. Mosley and Tom Selleck first became acquainted with each other through the 1973 film "Terminal Island." IMDb writes that the film centers on prisoners that have been left on island to fend for themselves. Mosley starred as Monk, while Selleck portrayed Dr. Norman Milford. That being said, The Hollywood Reporter states that actor Gerald McRaney was in talks to portray T.C. on "Magnum P.I." However, producers realized that they needed an actor of color for the show's main cast. That's when Selleck thought of his former "Terminal Island" co-star, Mosley. The rest, as they say, is history.
Per CNN, "Magnum P.I." aired for eight seasons between 1980 and 1988. The BBC explains that the character of T.C. is a helicopter pilot that owns his own company in Oahu called Island Hoppers. T.C. knows Selleck's character, Thomas Magnum, from their time in Vietnam (via The Hollywood Reporter). Mosley, unbeknownst to the show's producers, actually had his helicopter license.
Moreover, Mosley wanted to ensure that T.C. was portrayed as a clean-cut and educated Black man. In a 1982 interview with "Ebony" (via BBC), he stated, "They [the show writers] keep writing for me to smoke and drink, but I won't do it." Mosley added: "I never get high, smoke, or drink on the show or in real life. That's not what I want Black kids to see."
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qL7Up56eZpOkunCFlG9ra21fnby4edGonp6qXZp6rrvSpZyyZaOprrPAxJ1ksKeioLavs4ywoK2gXam8rnnSnqOlnZOgerC6jKaYoKalonqxtY4%3D