Movie Trivia: Raiders of the Lost Ark
7th July 2009
Don’t ever say we don’t have useful stuff here.
Tim Matheson and Tom Selleck both tested for Indiana Jones; Karen Allen actually screentested with Tim Matheson. Tom Selleck did very well and was the frontrunner, but had to bow out due to Magnum P.I. Harrison Ford was brought up early in the casting discussion, but George Lucas wanted to avoid casting him since he had already become so closely associated with Star Wars.
Selleck would have been great.
July 7th, 2009 at 22:49
He really wanted the role and actually did a film with a similar character named High Road to China shortly thereafter. I think part of what made Ford work so well was that he didn’t at that time look as ‘hunky’ as Selleck did.
July 8th, 2009 at 08:56
I remember — and really liked — that movie. It was less 1930s-matinee-pulp-fiction-on-screen than RAIDERS, so Ford may have been the better pick. Selleck does “coping with ditzy female companion” very well, as QUIGLEY DOWN UNDER demonstrated.