CINEMA
Who was the 1980s playboy investigator that almost stole Harrison Ford’s role as Indiana Jones?
The legendary actor from Blade Runner, Star Wars and The Fugitive, among many others, almost never became the famous Indy.
Harrison Ford, one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, turned 82 on July 13, 2024. To celebrate, we thought we take a brief look back at his early days as an actor, specifically one of his two most legendary roles. Alongside Han Solo in Star Wars, Ford was also loved as the fearless archaeologist Indiana Jones. However, he nearly missed out on playing this character in favour of another popular actor from the 1980s, Tom Selleck.
The star of the detective series Magnum, P.I. was George Lucas’s preferred choice but Steven Spielberg was determined to cast Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark, which would lead to one of the most famous adventure film sagas in cinema history.
Magnum saved Indy for Harrison Ford
After collaborating on Star Wars, Lucas and Spielberg were already envisioning another great adventure film, this time drawing on the spirit of the 1930s and 1940s. For this, they needed a charismatic and attractive leading man with a certain comedic personality but also tough enough to realistically be able to take on the Nazis in action sequences that were revolutionary for the time. While both Lucas and Spielberg had their favourite actors for the role, they also considered the likes Steve Martin, Bill Murray, and Jack Nicholson. They even conducted screen tests with actors including Peter Coyote and Tim Matheson.
However, the two decision makers remained committed to their respective choices – Selleck for Lucas and Ford for Spielberg. Lucas was not entirely convinced about Ford, having already worked with him in American Graffiti and Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, as he preferred not to repeat leads. Hence, he strongly advocated for Selleck, who was rising in popularity after appearing in films like The Washington Affair and Coma and eagerly accepted the role following Lucas’s call.
Selleck, though, had just filmed the pilot episode of a promising series called Magnum, P.I., whose success would shape his professional future throughout the 1980s. He became a television icon by portraying the famous Hawaiian private investigator Thomas Sullivan Magnum, known for his distinctive style marked by printed shirts, colorful shorts, and his thick mustache. Magnum was a playboy living in a mansion with his English butler, Higgins, and driving a sleek red Ferrari.
Who stopped Selleck accepting Indiana Jones role?
“It’s true that I got the role of Indiana Jones, but what really frustrates me is when people say I turned it down,” Selleck explained in an interview on the David Letterman’s show. “That’s not true. I did the screen test. It was a great opportunity for me.
“I didn’t always do well in auditions due to the pressure, but since I had just gotten the role for Magnum, I had nothing to lose. If it didn’t work out, I already had a job. The thing is, it worked. A week after the audition, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg called me and told me I got the role. The offer stood for a month.
“As time passed and they talked to CBS, the network became more resistant to letting me leave the [Magnum] project. In the end, I had to make a decision.”
As a result, CBS prevented Selleck from accepting the role of Indy, leading to Ford stepping in for Raiders of the Lost Ark and kicking off one of Hollywood’s most prolific sagas, which has continued to this day with its fifth and final installment.