In the same way that the legendary actor Kevin Costner served as a marketing tool for the highly-successful Paramount Network series “Yellowstone,” it’s safe to say that one of the earliest selling points for CBS’ “Blue Bloods” was the inclusion of actor Tom Selleck. Selleck plays the role of Frank Reagan, the gruff, no-nonsense patriarch of the Reagan family, who are known for their multigenerational ties to New York City law enforcement.

Although much of the series is focused on the fieldwork of Frank’s children (almost all of whom serve in some branch of the criminal justice system), it’s safe to say that Frank’s leadership of the Reagan family is the glue that binds the series together. There are perhaps no better examples of this than the numerous family dinners that Frank hosts throughout the series, in which each member of the family comes together to air their grievances, recap their weeks, and work through their personal issues.

Indeed, there’s no question that Frank Reagan (and by extension, Tom Selleck himself) is an essential cornerstone of “Blue Bloods,” to the point where he essentially serves as the face of the series. As it happens, co-stars Vanessa Ray and Will Estes are well aware of the impact that Selleck has had on the show.

Vanessa Ray and Will Estes look to Selleck as a leader

While speaking to WFSB 3 about Season 9 of “Blue Bloods,” actors Vanessa Ray and Will Estes (who play Eddie Janko-Reagan and Jamie Reagan, respectively) were asked what they think keeps the audience tuning in to “Blue Bloods” each week. Without skipping a beat, Estes answered, “Tom Selleck.” At this, Ray laughed and agreed almost immediately.

“I’d like to also say other things, but that’s probably the biggest,” Estes explained. “Tom is our leader on and off the show. He comes to work, he’s the most studied, he’s the most prepared. He knows character, he knows story, he could write, direct, and produce the show but he maintains that he just wants to act on it.”

Both Estes and Ray went on to explain that they’ve learned an immense amount just by being around Tom, whose historic acting career has given him far more experience than anybody else on the show. Much more interesting is the notion that Selleck himself is such a powerful force behind-the-scenes as well as on-screen — and it’s clear that Tom Selleck’s monumental impact on “Blue Bloods” cannot be overstated.