Hollywood is full of urban legends, some are more well-known than others. In the late 1980s to the early 1990s few urban legends were more popular than that of the appearance of “ghost boy” on the movie “Three Men and a Baby,” which starred “Blue Bloods” actor Tom Selleck.
“Do you remember there’s a ghost in your movie?” Jimmy Fallon asked Selleck during a 2017 appearance on “The Tonight Show.”
“This was a big deal for video sales,” Selleck told Fallon. “The story was that this kid died in the house where we shot the movies. Well, we shot it on a sound stage. They built the set and all.”
No Ghost Here! Just “Three Men and a Baby”
The hit 1987 film starred Selleck, Ted Danson, and Steve Guttenberg. The trio plays three bachelors who are surprised when, one day, a baby is left on their doorstep. The three single men are then forced to adapt their childless lives around the baby, with some hilarious results.
For years, rumors that this “ghost boy” appeared in the 1987 box-office success swirled around the film. Fans claimed the ghost boy could be seen standing behind some curtains. During the scene, Ted Danson’s character, Jack Holden, talks with his mother about the baby.
However, during his interview with Fallon on “The Tonight Show,” Selleck confirmed that the human figure in the famous scene is actually a cardboard cut-out of Ted Danson.
“If you pause the movie, he’s in the window,” Fallon told the “Blue Bloods” actor. The host then pulled out a photo showing a still of the famous scene, as well as a behind-the-scenes photo that showed a better look at the cut-out.
‘Blue Bloods’ Star Says Urban Legend Boosted Video Sales
While the “Blue Bloods” star and the Tonight Show host agreed the appearance was a little creepy, they both agreed it is a left-over prop from a deleted scene in the hit movie.
“It looks a little spooky but the story is ridiculous,” Selleck said. “The ‘ghost’ of the sound stage!”
“Maybe Disney made it up,” Selleck added. The legend did do wonders in boosting sales for the video when it was first released, per the actor.
Currently, Tom Selleck can be seen on CBS’s “Blue Bloods” where he plays the NYC police commissioner, Frank Reagan. Reagan is the son of the family patriarch, Henry Reagan and the father of three children, all of whom found careers in law enforcement.
