Larry Manetti

The Tough Guy Chicago Kid

Larry Manetti was born in Chicago in 1947 and grew up in an environment where connections were everything. His godfather was Frank Sinatra. This detail is not a footnote in his biography, because it shaped his view of show business as a trade built on loyalty and direct contacts.

Sinatra taught him that in this business nobody gives anything away.

Before flying out to the islands, he worked on minor productions and learned the ways of the sound stage from the bottom up. In 1976, he landed a role on the television series Baa Baa Black Sheep, where he played Lieutenant Boyle. That production about World War II Marine Corps pilots gave him the experience he needed to handle ensemble casts and high testosterone in front of the camera.

But the real change of pace came when he crossed paths with an actor named Tom Selleck. The chemistry between the two was instant and professional. So when the project for a series about a private investigator in Hawaii began to take shape, Manetti's name was at the top of the list for the role of Rick Wright.

Rick's Club and the Helicopters

In 1980, he signed the contract that would give him a steady paycheck for almost a decade. Magnum, P.I. was not only a ratings hit in the United States but also exported an image of luxury and flowered shirts that struck a chord in Spain during the 1980s. Manetti played the manager of the King Kamehameha Club, the hub where all the plot threads came together.

Hawaii became his office for eight years.

The series worked because the group of friends formed by Magnum, Rick and TC felt real. Over the eight seasons of the show, Manetti provided the pragmatic and sometimes slightly nervous counterpoint to the lead character's antics. The pay was high, but the shooting schedule on the islands was exhausting, with days lasting more than twelve hours under the tropical sun.

In 1988, the series ended its run with a final episode that broke viewing records. Manetti did not sit idle and decided to diversify his income. He published a memoir titled Aloha Magnum in 1999, detailing the wild parties and logistical challenges of shooting on an archipelago far from the major studios in Los Angeles.

A Retreat Between Microphones and Police Precincts

Television changed, and supporting leading-man roles began to dry up. But Manetti found a haven in radio and guest appearances. For years he hosted his own radio show, The Larry Manetti Show, where he interviewed Hollywood legends and shared stories from the golden age of network television.

He never sought the absolute leading role.

In 2013, he returned to Hawaii's stages to take part in the reboot of Hawaii Five-0, playing Nicky “The Kid” Demarco. It was a smart move by the production company to attract fans nostalgic for the original. He reprised that same character in 2019 in the new Magnum P.I. universe, bridging the two generations of actors.

His activity did not slow down with age. In 2023, he appeared in the episode Family Matters of the series Blue Bloods, playing Sam Alessi alongside his old friend Tom Selleck. The shoot took place in New York under weather conditions that had little in common with the heat of Honolulu.

He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Nancy DeCarl, whom he married in 1980, just before his life changed forever with a television contract with CBS.