Here’s the Real Reason ‘Blue Bloods’ Star Tom Selleck Turned Down the Indiana Jones Role
Harrison Ford was not the first choice!
The iconic character of Indiana Jones could’ve looked much different! With the fifth movie, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, in theaters on June 30, the franchise star is reflecting on the movie series, which dates back more than 40 years.
In an interview with Deadline, Harrison Ford was asked how he came to play the now-famous character. Surprisingly, the 80-year-old actor was not the first choice.
“How I got the job? Tom Selleck had the job, but he also incurred an obligation to do a television series and he was unable to get out of that contract. I became the second choice, and I’m very grateful for Tom. Thank you, Tom, man. If you’re listening, thank you again.”
The show was one of Tom’s most iconic roles: Magnum P.I., the 1980s hit that continued for eight seasons and earned Tom an Emmy win and four additional nominations.
According to People, the movie’s creator George Lucas was reluctant to work with Harrison again after collaborating with him on the Star Wars movies. He didn’t want to have a “close actor collaborator” like Martin Scorsese had with Robert De Niro. He was also skeptical that Harrison would sign on for a three-movie deal. “Steven said to try anyway,” George said. “I went to Harrison and he read the script and said, ‘Yeah, I’ll do a three-picture deal. I’d love to.’ ”
Harrison recalled in the Deadline interview that he was contacted by George Lucas, who gave him one hour to read the script, then had to meet with Steven Spielberg immediately.
Now that the fifth movie is in theaters, it’s hard to imagine anyone other than Harrison Ford portraying Indy.
