'Blue Bloods' Star Tom Selleck's $2,020 Tip and Note for Restaurant Servers Spark Good Feelings

Tom Selleck is typically the head of the table weekly on Blue Bloods as Frank Reagan. But while [...]

By Andrew Roberts

Tom Selleck is typically the head of the table weekly on Blue Bloods as Frank Reagan. But while he's usually the one at the front of discussion and decisions for the family, he took cue from one of his television children this past Christmas and the holiday season. Given his birthday earlier this week, it's a nice time to look back.

Back on Christmas Eve, fans of Blue Bloods saw co-star Donnie Wahlberg share that Selleck took on his "2020 Tip Challenge" and left a $2,020 tip after a $204.68 meal at Elio's restaurant in New York City. The generous act happened back in November, though Selleck kept it under wraps until Wahlberg broke the news on social media. According to PEOPLE, the Blue Bloods co-stars didn't speak about it despite spending time together on-set.

"Tom never mentioned it to me," Wahlberg told PEOPLE. "We've done three [Blue Bloods] dinner scenes since he did it and he never told me." Despite the lack of announcement, Wahlberg was still proud of his television father and happy with anybody who tipped anything in the name of the challenge in 2020.

Selleck left a lovely note with his tip that gave credit to Wahlberg for the inspiration and thanked the staff at Elio's for their service. "For Elios, I am honoring my friend Donnie Wahlberg's 'Tip Challenge' with my sincere hope for a better 2020. Thank you all," the Blue Bloods star wrote.

Wahlberg helped spread the "2020 Tip Challenge" back in January after it first popped up in Michigan at Thunder Bay River Restaurant. The Blue Bloods actor and wife Jenny McCarthy took the idea and ran with it, leaving their own $2,020 tip at IHOP in St. Charles, Illinois. According to PEOPLE, he repeated this in November with a tip at Marshland restaurant in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

While Wahlberg has been public about his tipping, Selleck managed to keep his kind deed hidden due to his private nature. As PEOPLE notes, Selleck cherishes his privacy and family time when not working. So the spotlight and viral fame isn't necessarily something he craves. "I've always treasured the balance between work and time with my family. It's always about them," Selleck told the outlet in April. "My relationships and my ranch keep me sane."

It's a great treat to close out the year from the Blue Bloods stars. The series recently returned for its eleventh season amid the coronavirus pandemic, adapting like many shows to the new reality. The new season will return in January on CBS, Fridays at 10 p.m. ET.

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