Steven Spielberg has reflected on the time when Tom Selleck almost played Indiana Jones. The director shared how Selleck was his first choice for the iconic character. Indiana Jones’ portrayal has been immortalized by Harrison Ford.
Steven Spielberg says he initially wanted Tom Selleck to play Indiana Jones
During a recent appearance on IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson, Steven Spielberg recalled how Tom Selleck almost played Indiana Jones. Speaking with the former first lady, Spielberg opened up about his initial decision for the iconic character.
The Oscar-winning director shared that he and George Lucas, who created the character, “both discovered and decided that Tom Selleck should play Indiana Jones” in 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark.
“[Selleck] came in, and he read for the part. He was good,” Spielberg shared, adding, “His test was good. I loved it.”
The director continued, “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. … When they heard we wanted Tom, they immediately put Magnum P.I. into production, preempting Tom from being in Indiana Jones.”
Selleck himself talked about almost getting the role of Indiana Jones in the past. In a 1997 interview, the Magnum, P.I. star said, “To be honest, I’m a little embarrassed by it all because there is no other Indiana Jones than Harrison Ford. He is indelible in that role. It’s his achievement. I just hope Harrison doesn’t think I’m running around going, ‘I was first choice for Raiders of the Lost Ark.’”
In a 2024 interview with PEOPLE, following the publication of his memoir, Selleck recalled, “When I walked into the room for the audition, it was just those two guys: Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. I didn’t feel particularly nervous.”
In his interview with Michelle Obama, Spielberg recalled how he later chose Harrison Ford for the role. This was after George Lucas showed him a cut of his Star Wars film, The Empire Strikes Back, where Ford played Han Solo.
