'Magnum PI' Season 3: Meet Jay Hernandez, Perdita Weeks and rest of the cast and find out about their real-life partners
As the cast returns for a third season of the 'Magnum P.I.' reboot, do you know who plays your favorite characters? When the reboot of the beloved series was first announced, fans of the old show, starring Tom Selleck, were skeptical about whether a reboot would work.
But now the stars have settled into their roles and with a third season premiere, CBS seems to have pulled off a successful reboot. But while the basic formula has remained the same -- including the pally camaraderie of Magnum's entourage, there have been some tweaks in the characters themselves. For one, the cast of the new series is even more diverse and Higgins is now a British woman. Here is all you need to know about the actors playing the lead roles in the series, their careers and their love lives.
Jay Hernandez is Thomas Magnum
Taking up the titular role of the private investigator, Magnum, once played by Tom Selleck, is Latinx actor Jay Hernandez. In the reboot, Magnum is a former Navy SEAL who served in Afghanistan. While he is a security consultant for the successful novelist Robin Masters, living in the guest house on his estate, his main hustle is his private investigator gig. Jay Hernandez has had tremendous success in Hollywood since he rose to fame after starring opposite Kirsten Dunst in the 2001 movie, 'Crazy/Beautiful'. He has since starred in numerous films, including 'Friday Night Lights' (2004), 'Hostel' (2005), 'Bad Moms' (2016). He is best known for playing El Diablo in the DC movie 'Suicide Squad'. Jay Hernandez is happily married to Daniella Deutscher. They met when Hernandez was 14 and Deutscher was 17 years old. They also co-starred in the NBC series 'Hang Time' before getting married in 2006.
Perdita Weeks is Juliet Higgins
By casting British actress Perdita Weeks as Higgins, the show producers have brought in an added dimension of a 'will they, won't they' romance to the legendary verbal spats between Magnum and Higgins. In the reboot, Higgins is a former MI-6 agent, who was the caretaker of Robin Master's mansion called "Robin's Nest" in Season 1 and 2. But after her immigration problems and Robin's generous "gift" in the Season 2 finale, she is now the master of Robin's Nest. That will change the dynamics at what is unofficially the HQ of the team. Perdita Weeks is a Welsh actress with credits like 'Penny Dreadful', 'The Tudors', 'Ready Player One' and the Ralph Fiennes-directed 'The Invisible Woman', to her name. Among her other films are 'As Above, So Below' (2014), 'Hamlet' (1996) and 'Spice World' (1997). Several false news reports have claimed that Perdita Weeks is married to "actor Kit Frederiksen", who is the spitting image of her co-star in 'As Above, So Below', Ben Feldman, in the pictures accompanying such "reports". So no, there is no Frederiksen, and Feldman, famous for that nipple-slicing role on 'Mad Men', is married to Michelle Mulitz. Weeks herself isn't married to anyone and there is no official news of her being anything other than fabulously single.
Stephen Hill is Theodore "TC" Calvin
Hill has the role of "TC", the ex-marine turned helicopter pilot on the new 'Magnum P.I.' Hill is a fan of the original series and when he consulted his predecessor Roger E. Mosely about the role, Mosely encouraged him to make the part his own. But he still keeps the DVD of the old Magnum PI's Season 1 for "good mojo". Hill’s first job was as a copier salesman in New York City. But he decided to follow his dreams to honor his mother, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and never had to chance to pursue her creative dreams. Since then, Hill's acting credits include 'Law & Order: SVU', 'It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia', 'Political Animals', 'Blue Bloods', 'Boardwalk Empire', 'Lewis & Clark' and 'Luke Cage'. His most recent work includes Steve McQueen’s feature film 'Widows' and the Netflix series 'Maniac'. Since he is someone who likes keeping his love life private, there is no news of him dating anyone. He has never been married either.
Zachary Knighton is Orville "Rick" Wright
Zachary Knighton plays Rick, his friendship with Magnum forged in war. He is a former Marine who runs his own bar and is also a playboy. On the show, Rick's surrogate father Francis 'Ice Pick' Hofstetter provided the impetus for much of the action at the end of the last season, when Rick tried to stop him from pulling a "last robbery" after his cancer diagnosis. Zachary Knighton is best known for his role in ABC's 'Happy Endings'. His acting credits include 'Santa Clarita Diet' and 'Parenthood'. BuddyTV ranked him #94 on its list of "TV's Sexiest Men of 2011" and #100 in "TV's Sexiest Men of 2012". Zachary was married to Hang Knighton from 2008 to 2015. They are co-parents to daughter Tallula. He found love again with Betsy Phillips, who he married in 2018. Phillips has also played the character "Suzy Madison" on the show. Phillips and Zachary Knighton have a son, Bear Analu Knighton, who was born on October 26, 2019.
Season 3 of 'Magnum PI' will premiere on CBS on Friday, December 4, at 9/8c.