THE casting alone proved to be a huge drawcard for Blue Bloods. Headed by Tom Selleck, who, truth be told, does a first-rate job as the patriarch, Police Commissioner Francis “Frank” Reagan, the show is also bolstered by the talents of Donnie Wahlberg and Will Estes.

In a chat with Estes, the 32-year-old actor says he was taking a solar panel installation class at a local college prior to landing the role.

What sold him on the character of Jamieson (aka Jamie)?

“The pilot episode of Blue Bloods was one of the best things I had read in a long time. I immediately felt connected to the character and was attracted to the premise: a fast-paced procedural with a character-driven drama at its heart and centre,” explains Estes.

Although he has an impressive number of credits to his name, he is pretty chuffed to be working on this drama.

“In a business with little consistency, it’s great to be working on a one-hour drama, one of the highlights being working with Tom Selleck, Donnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan, Len Cariou and Nick Turturro,” he offers.

BLUE BLOODS is a drama about a multi-generational family of cops dedicated to New York City law enforcement. Tom Selleck (right) stars as Frank Reagan, the New York Chief of Police. Frank's youngest child is Jamie (Will Estes), fresh out of Harvard Law and the family's "golden boy," who gave up a lucrative future in law to become a newly minted cop -- which is seemingly supported by Jamie's girlfriend Sydney Davenport (Dylan Moore), a first year lawyer. Photo: Heather Wines �2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Estes continues: “Tom is one of the most talented and hard-working actors I have ever worked with. He is capable of producing, directing and writing, but maintains acting as his focus. I intend to learn a lot from him.

“Donnie is a performer and a talent on the screen and on the music stage. He always keeps us laughing in the later hours of a long day on the set.”

Taking us through the intricacies of his character, he says: “Jamie is a guy who grew up in a cop family, was lucky and smart enough to attend Harvard and graduate with a law degree. He then had the conviction to join the family business and become a cop, like the men in his family before him. His older brother’s death in the line of duty no doubt affected his course in life. He’s driven, smart and empathetic.”

On how Hollywood has been treating him, he shares: “The mistake people make in Hollywood is attaching their worth to their success in the industry. It’s random and lucky and there are niches that need to be filled. Everyone’s heard of the 15 minutes of fame phenomenon. I don’t think it’s as cut-throat as much as it’s just not what you would like it to be about.”

Given the plethora of cop dramas in the television industry, can a show like Blue Bloods flourish in the market?

“I think the real strength of the show is that it’s not just a procedural show where a crime gets solved every episode and that’s it. And it’s not just a drama for the sake of drama but, at its best, it is a show about how their work (police work and district attorney work) affects these characters the audience know and care about.”

By the way, the second season of Blue Bloods is currently being shot.

And Estes is also keeping busy with his big screen roles.

“I did Shadow and an untitled Inner Auto Project, written and directed by Tom Glynn.

“I had a part in a film called Mission Park recently and Chris Nolan hired me to play a role in his next Dark Knight with Christian Bale,” he reveals.

Keeping a foot in both mediums – that’s one way to ensure longevity in Hollywood.

Good on you, Estes!

lBlue Bloods airs on M-Net on Thursday at 7.30pm.

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