Len Cariou wants to star on Blue Bloods for ’20 seasons’

Henry Reagan (Len Cariou) is the man behind the entire Blue Bloods family. He’s the retired police commissioner who’s the father of the current police commissioner, Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck), and though he’s rarely involved with the main plot, his presence is a glue for the rest of the cast members.

As Blue Bloods preps for its fourteenth season, and Henry gets older, the question is naturally raised as to whether he will continue to be a part of the show. His presence has been lessened somewhat, as some fans have pointed out. Will Henry be written off or will he return after a relatively quiet season 13?

Is Len Cariou leaving Blue Bloods?

The general rule of thumb is that an actor is returning to a long-running show unless otherwise stated, and there have been absolutely no reports that claim Cariou is calling it a day. Despite being 83 years old, the actor is eager as ever to play a role in the show’s talented ensemble.

“When the proposition came to me, my wife got the appointment on the internet from my agent and said, ‘This show, you’re going to get this role playing Tom Selleck’s father and it’ll run for 10 years.’ I laughed at her,” he told Looper in 2022. “We’re only about a generation apart. Lo and behold, [about] 13 years later…”

The generational aspect of the show, especially with regards to the Reagan family, is not list on Cariou. He feels that Blue Bloods should continue long after main characters have left, and follow the children as they embark on adulthood. He points to the fact that several main characters have left the show, and it has continued to thrive nonetheless.

While it’s a valid point, it’s by no means an admittance that Cariou is ready to call it a day. On the contrary, the actor told the outlet that he wants to play Henry Reagan for another six years! He has all the confidence in the world in the writers and producers, and wants to continue to give back to the city of New York.

"“We’ve all said, ‘Hey, we want to do 20 [seasons],’ and that’s even from Tom’s mouth. We met with the new mayor of New York [Eric Adams] and he said, ‘Keep it going, guys. Keep on going.’ We’ve injected a lot of money into the city of New York over those 12 years, and the mayor’s saying ‘keep it going’ because it’s good for their commerce.”"

In short, Blue Bloods fans have nothing to worry about. As long as the show is around, Henry Reagan will be as well.

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