In the 45 years since the release of Raiders of the Lost Ark, it's difficult to imagine anyone but Harrison Ford wearing Indiana Jones' iconic fedora.
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However, Ford was not the first choice of director Steven Spielberg and producer George Lucas. And the actor they would have chosen didn't take the part for an unusual reason.
Who Did Steven Spielberg Want to Play Indiana Jones?
In an interview with former First Lady Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson on the IMO podcast, Spielberg shared he had someone else in mind for the role of Indiana Jones.
"George and I had interviewed a lot of people to play Indiana Jones, and we tested them," Spielberg said. "That was going to be whether we made the move or not. We both discovered and decided that Tom Selleck should play Indiana Jones. He came in, he read for the part, his test was good. I loved it."
However, according to the director, "the strings of destiny didn't cross with Tom."
Why? The reason had to do with the small patch of hair between Selleck's nose and upper lip.
At the time, Selleck had a contract to star in the hit television show Magnum P.I. Spielberg explained that he wouldn't have let the actor keep his trademark 'stache if he played Indiana Jones. The show was in production when Selleck was selected, preventing him from taking on the role.
Added Spielberg, "Tom's a great guy. I adore him."
Harrison Ford Almost Didn't Get the Part, Either
It was when Spielberg and Lucas watched a cut of The Empire Strikes Back that Spielberg first had the idea to cast Ford as the famous archaeologist.
"I said, 'George, what about that guy who plays Han Solo to play Indiana Jones?'" Spielberg explained. "George looked at me funny and said, 'He's Han Solo.'"
Spielberg then reminded Lucas that Ford could play other roles. Lucas then sent the Raiders of the Lost Ark script to the actor. Ford loved it, and the rest is history. He would go on to play Indiana Jones in five films.
You can watch the interview with Spielberg on IMO below.
