The Untold Story Behind Indiana Jones’ Casting
Steven Spielberg has shared a fascinating insight into the early days of the Indiana Jones franchise, revealing that Tom Selleck was initially the top choice to play the iconic adventurer. However, contractual obligations to a television show ultimately led to a different outcome.
During an interview on the IMO podcast hosted by Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson, Spielberg reflected on the casting process for Raiders of the Lost Ark, the 1981 film that introduced the world to Indiana Jones. He explained that he and George Lucas had already decided on Selleck for the role before any other actors were considered.
“We tested a lot of people for Indiana Jones,” Spielberg said. “And we tested a lot of actresses for Marion Ravenwood as well.” He described how they met with potential actors in a small office across from Universal Studios in Los Angeles. Selleck’s audition left a strong impression on both Spielberg and Lucas.
“Tom came in and read for the part. Oh, he was good. His test was good. I loved it,” Spielberg recalled. However, there was a twist that neither he nor Lucas knew at the time: Selleck was still under contract to CBS for his role in Magnum, P.I..
The actor was starring as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator based in Hawaii, in the popular series that premiered in December 1980. Magnum, P.I. became one of the most-watched shows in the US during the early 1980s, consistently ranking among the top 20 programs in the Nielsen ratings.
Spielberg admitted that they were unaware of Selleck’s contract with CBS until it was too late. “We wanted Tom. We gave Tom the part, and then he had, which we didn’t realize, an outstanding contract with CBS network to do Magnum, P.I.,” he said. According to Spielberg, CBS quickly moved to production on the show, preventing Selleck from joining the Raiders cast.
In his 2024 memoir You Never Know, Selleck reflected on the missed opportunity. “My only regret was that the ‘what-if’ was there from time to time,” he wrote. He also described the audition as a memorable experience, saying, “On my drive home, I thought, boy, that was pretty cool, no pressure, and having a face-to-face with two people whose work I love.”
Selleck later told David Letterman in 2014 that the offer for Indiana Jones was on the table for about a month, but CBS refused to let him take the role.
During the podcast, Obama asked Spielberg whether Selleck would have kept the mustache that became a trademark of his Magnum, P.I. character. “You know, he wouldn’t have. I wouldn’t have let him have a mustache,” Spielberg joked. But he added, “Maybe if the films were as successful, he could have demanded the mustache later and then George and I would have given [it], any time.”
Eventually, Harrison Ford was brought into the mix after Lucas invited Spielberg to watch a rough cut of The Empire Strikes Back in 1980. “I went to the screening room, saw Empire Strikes Back, which I adored,” Spielberg said. After the screening, he approached Lucas and suggested Ford for the role of Indiana Jones.
“George looked at me funny and said, ‘Well, but he’s Han Solo.’ I said, ‘I know, but, you know, John Wayne might have been in the same Western forever, but he played different characters. You know, he could do more than one role.’”
Lucas eventually reconsidered the idea and sent the Raiders of the Lost Ark script to Ford. “About a week later, he called me up and said, ‘I’ve sent the script to Harrison,’” Spielberg said. “Harrison reads the script and he wants to do it. That was how it all began.”
Spielberg’s Latest Project
Spielberg’s latest film, Disclosure Day, is set to be released on 12 June. A trailer for the sci-fi thriller was released last week. The film stars Emily Blunt as a meteorologist who teams up with a whistleblower, played by Josh O’Connor, to uncover a government conspiracy. The cast also includes Colin Firth, Colman Domingo, Eve Hewson, and Wyatt Russell.
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