When it comes to certain iconic movie characters, it’s hard to imagine any other actor in that role. Jim Carrey as Truman Burbank, Robin Williams as the Genie, and Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark are some examples that come to mind. Of course, one of the most universally agreed on is Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, but a key fact is that Tom Selleck had the part before Ford was even a consideration. Raiders of the Lost Ark director Steven Spielberg recently explained why Selleck had to drop one of the biggest movies of the ‘80s, and how they eventually landed on Ford.
Spielberg’s latest film, Disclosure Day, may be premiering this month as part of the 2026 movie schedule, but he recently threw it back to the early movies of his career in a conversation with Michelle Obama and her brother, Craig Robinson, for their podcast, IMO. Obama asked the Jurassic Park director about his biggest casting karma (or the actors that got away). Harrison Ford has jokingly in the past thanked Selleck for dropping out of Indiana Jones, but Spielberg revealed that wasn’t exactly what happened:
But there’s where the strings of destiny didn’t cross with Tom. 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. And Bob Daly – a very close friend of mine, but I didn’t know Bob at the time. When they heard we wanted Tom, they immediately put Magnum P.I. into production, preempting Tom from being in Indiana Jones.
Spielberg told his hosts how good Selleck’s screen test was, so it doesn’t surprise me that the Blue Bloods actor had two era-defining projects fighting over him. Selleck previously discussed his frustration and disappointment in being forced out of Indiana Jones, even though Magnum P.I. ended up being huge for his career.
I mean, speaking of perfect casting, can you imagine any other mustached man wearing that iconic Hawaiian shirt? The Saving Private Ryan director revealed he would have had Selleck shave the iconic stache to play the legendary whip-cracking archaeologist.
Regardless, Selleck’s CBS contract left George Lucas, who created Indiana Jones, and Spielberg back at square one, but it decidedly was the perfect twist of fate. Around the same time, The Fablemans director went to a private pre-screening of The Empire Strikes Back, where he apparently found the man fated to wear the iconic fedora. As Spielberg recalled:
I pulled George aside and I said, ‘George, what about that guy who plays Han Solo to play Indiana Jones?’ And George looked at me funny and said, ‘Well, but he’s Han Solo.’
It’s the age-old question when it comes to Harrison Ford’s iconic roles: who’s better, Han Solo or Indiana Jones? I’m sure Lucas was considering the chances of Indiana Jones stealing away his fan-favorite Star Wars renegade but, eventually, he must have decided Ford could handle both franchises, and thank God he did. Spielberg said with Lucas’ blessing, it was pretty much a done deal:
So about a week later he called me up and said ‘I’ve sent the script to Harrison. So, on his own, he’s had a few days to think about it. Without telling me, he sends the script to Harrison and Harrison reads the script and he wants to do it. That was how it all began.
Ford reflected on getting that call from Lucas, with a little more urgency than Spielberg let on. The Blade Runner actor said Lucas called him to let him know he was sending a script over, and asked Ford to read it in an hour. Presumably, based on Spielberg’s comments, Lucas called the Spielberg the same day, telling him Ford was accepting the role as Indy.
It almost sounds like Lucas made the decision for the Air Force One actor but, if George Lucas told me to take a movie role, he wouldn’t need to say it twice. In hindsight, it was probably the second best decision Ford ever made, after agreeing to play Han Solo, and the Patriot Games actor has credited Lucas for his early career before.
To be clear, I wholeheartedly trust Steven Spielberg and have no doubt Tom Selleck would have made a great whip-slinging, Nazi-fighting adventurer. However, it wouldn’t be the Indy we’ve come to know and love. Harrison Ford brought a certain scrappy charm to the character, a quality he showed in Han Solo and carried over throughout the entire Indiana Jones franchise. On that note, can relive all Indy’s best adventures with a Disney+ subscription.