MovieChat Forums > Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) Discussion > Tom Selleck would've been Indiana Jones....

Tom Selleck would've been Indiana Jones...

posted 3 years ago by PersistentViewer (1809)
24 replies | jump to latest

...but he was signed on to do Magnum P.I.

Prior to filming Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1980, director Steven Spielberg and writer George Lucas really, really didn’t want to cast as Harrison Ford as Indy. Instead, they wanted that guy who your mom thought was hot in the ’70s, Mr. Magnum P.I. himself, Tom Selleck. Selleck famously screen-tested for the character of Indiana Jones, but because he was locked into a contract with Magnum P.I., he couldn’t take the role!

https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-movies/tom-selleck-as-indiana-jones/#:~:text=Prior%20to%20filming%20Raiders%20of,as%20Harrison%20Ford%20as%20Indy.&text=Selleck%20famously%20screen-tested%20for,couldn%27t%20take%20the%20role!

This might have been posted before, so apologies in advance.

[–] Cognoscente (2464) 3 years ago

Spielberg once said that while it would’ve been a funnier movie with Selleck, it would have lacked the humanity that Ford gave it.

On the other hand, Selleck's IJ would have been more believable as the son of Connery's Henry.

[–] strntz (10851) 3 years ago

I would love to see an alternate universe version of Raiders with Selleck (who I generally like), but I honestly think that Ford was absolutely perfect in this. Magic really.

[–] R_Kane (15828) 2 years ago

Ford is a movie star.

Selleck is a TV star.

Big screen>little screen.

Complete movie>LET’S PAUSE FOR COMMERCIALS

[–] Guitar King (4362) 3 years ago

I wish Selleck WAS cast, in hindsight. As a Star Wars fan, I noticed The Indiana Jones role went to Ford's head and caused him to want out of Star Wars since he didn't need it anymore. Maybe we would have gotten more SW movies in the 80s and 90s if Ford never played Indy. Selleck would have done a fine job, too.

[–] Cognoscente (2464) 3 years ago

You are not alone in your opinion regarding Selleck: https://popcultmaster.com/2018/04/05/tom-selleck-as-indiana-jones/

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

He would have wanted out of Star wars regardless. For some actors his age and older, that sort of thing is really an embarrassing piece of work to have on a resumé. Actors these days want to get involved in all that geeky stuff because it's hip and they know it's a big payday. But that wasn't so when Harrison Ford was a younger man.

[–] johnmiller (3370) 3 years ago

Ford was grumpy before he even started "Star Wars." So his wanting to bail out of "Return of the Jedi" is something that would have likely happened without Indiana Jones coming about.

[–] Heisenberg (6334) 3 years ago

This news is almost as fresh as the dust inside the ark.

[–] overseas7 (3524) 3 years ago

Harrison Ford was perfect for this movie.

[–] HarlemEagle42 (16205) 3 years ago

Absolutely.

[–] GirlNamedSue (232) 3 years ago

I LOVE Tom Selleck. I think Raiders would have been good with Tom in it (with or without mustache) but I think Ford was probably the better choice.

[–] ExTechOp (2755) 3 years ago

Never saw "High Road to China," but wouldn't that be a good indicator of Selleck as Indy?

[–] GirlNamedSue (232) 3 years ago

Wow, a Selleck movie I haven't seen!! I'm going to watch that one soon. It sure does have the look of a Raiders film for sure.

[–] Redsfan001 (6009) 3 years ago

A chance to be a leading man in a Speilberg film doesn't come up every day.

I would have rolled the dice and broken the contract to work with that genius.

[–] TandyMan (10372) 3 years ago

I think the whole world would be different today. Those Indy films were a huge defining block of pop culture. And made Harrison Ford a superstar. A Tom Selleck Indy could have gone two ways. Either it would have been ho-hum, sent Tom packing back to TV, but no generation altering Indy flicks, and a possible derailment of the LucasFilm express. And no international superstar Ford and all his films. Or it could have made Tom one of the biggest names in the business and re-affirmed macho manliness for decades to come. And we wouldn't be dealing with this crap we are today.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

Harrison Ford is much more MASCULINE than Tom fucking Selleck.

[–] strntz (10851) 3 years ago

I believe Harrison Ford has also been sexually active.

[–] Saenzwa9 (441) 3 years ago

I think just the fact he already played an iconic character such as Han Solo would've be enough to make Ford a Superstar. His career probably wouldn't have been all that different just for the fact he would only have one iconic role under his belt instead of two. Of course playing Indiana Jones certainly helped the fuel the fire, but Ford has made loads of good movies over the years in addition to Indiana Jones and Star Wars.

Selleck's iconic role was Magnum P.I which he is mostly known for. Yes he has a handful of good films under his belt, but his film career as a lead man pales in comparison to Ford's. After 1992 he pretty much wasn't getting any lead roles anymore, although he did continue to get regular work. In the early 2000's he found success again in the Joss Stone tv movies which he made 7 or 8 of them, and especially in his most recent role as the police commissioner on Blue Bloods. If he had gotten the Indy role, he probably would have had more success as an action movie star, and lead man in general

[–] BillySlater (4108) 3 years ago

Yeah that´s true. Instead he did Quigley Down Under and 3 men and a baby.
I don´t think Selleck would have been a bad choice but Ford definitely worked out for the best.

[–] Snoopy828 (496) 3 years ago

I think just the fact he already played an iconic character such as Han Solo would've be enough to make Ford a Superstar. His career probably wouldn't have been all that different just for the fact he would only have one iconic role under his belt instead of two. Of course playing Indiana Jones certainly helped the fuel the fire, but Ford has made loads of good movies over the years in addition to Indiana Jones and Star Wars.

Actually it might not have. Harrison put out movies in between Star Wars sequels and they bombed, indicating that had he not gotten Indy his career could have gone the way of Hamill or Fisher. Han Solo launched him, but Indy catapulted him further and made him a mainstay. Kind of similar to Stallone. Rocky launched him, but Rambo catapulted him and made him a mainstay.

[–] Gd5150 (11038) 3 years ago

Can you imagine. Indiana running around in short little OP corduroy shorts. Best chest hair in the business. Stache. He could’ve been a champ.