Tom Selleck, who is best remembered for his sexy moustache, red Ferrari, and excellent taste in women as Magnum P.I. back in the 80s, is yet again a small screen icon, this time in the form of NYPD Police Commissioner Frank Reagan on CBS’ hit drama Blue Bloods.

Selleck fits his latest role perfectly, as he displays bags of his old school Magnum-type charm, and loves the recognition he gets from real cops when he’s out-and-about on the streets of New York filming.

He spoke to reporters on Saturday, during the Blue Bloods panel at PaleyFest NY, saying, “My favorite reactions, the ones I get quite touched with, are getting salutes from real cops. They’ll salute me sometimes.”

And, as well as Tom Selleck, Kevin Wade, the executive producer of Blue Bloods, is loving the perks he gets from being associated with the show in real life, as he shared with reporters, “I made an illegal turn onto 47th Street, and the cops were waiting for it. I rolled down the window, and three cops come around, and I say, ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t see the sign.'”

But when the cops realized who he was, they waved him on.

When Selleck was asked why he and other cast members don’t have Twitter accounts, he replied, “I am trying to master the intricacies of the iPhone 3,” he joked, adding that he’s never sent an email in his life and has only ever sent one text message!

That revelation won’t come as such a shock to most Magnum P.I. fans. After all, Tom Selleck is the epitome of old school, and he has surely earned the right not to be a texter or emailer.

Selleck also spoke about how his mentor, James Garner, helped and influenced him over the years, and how he led the way for Magnum P.I.

“I was a fan, and then I got to work with him on [‘The Rockford Files’]. He gave me the pivotal advice of my career… I said, ‘I had an old contract at Universal, it’s over, and they’ve assigned me this show called ‘Magnum,’ and I hate it. This guy’s got a Ferrari, and women on his arm, and I don’t like it.'”

To that, Garner apparently replied, “Well, I’m not gonna give you any advice, except this: You don’t have any power. You’ve never done a show… if they want you, and they do, you’ll never have any more power than you do right now. And that’s all I’m gonna say.'”

At that moment, according to Selleck, he called his agent and they told Universal he wasn’t interested in the show. But then, when Universal asked Tom Selleck, “Who in the hell do you think you are? You’ve never been on the air, and you’ll never work again,'” he has the brains to say, “Well, okay,” and that decision changed his life forever.