There’s only one guy who immortalized Indiana Jones. His name is none other than Harrison Ford. From his signature devil-may-care personality to the iconic fedora and whip, Ford truly owns the role like no other. All to the point it’s hard to imagine anyone else playing Indiana Jones. But truth is sometimes stranger than fiction and that is certainly applicable to the casting of Indiana Jones.
Believe it or not, Ford wasn’t a shoo-in favorite at the time when George Lucas and Steven Spielberg were prepping for Raiders of the Lost Ark. Lucas may have worked with Ford on American Graffiti and Star Wars. But he wasn’t keen on casting him for the role of Indiana Jones, even though Spielberg preferred to have him onboard. So, instead of Ford, several other actors were considered to (almost) play the swashbuckling archaeologist of Indiana Jones.
1. Tom Selleck
Magnum P.I. star Tom Selleck was actually George Lucas’s first choice to play Indiana Jones. He even made it as far as completing a screen test with Sean Young. The latter was among the actresses originally cast as Indy’s love interest, Marion. While Karen Allen eventually won the role instead, Selleck was officially selected to play the lead role.
But a cruel twist of fate happened when CBS, the television studio behind the production of Magnum P.I. refused to release him from his contract. Selleck had no choice but to depart the role just three weeks before filming took place. However, he had his chance to take on an Indiana Jones-style action adventure. That role in question was Patrick O’Malley in High Road to China. Released in 1983, the movie marked the actor’s first major role in a feature film. It may have been a minor financial success but pretty much a forgotten hit as the years went by.
2. Tim Matheson
In 1980, Tim Matheson auditioned for the role of Indiana Jones as Lucas wanted to cast a lesser-known actor. He even did his first screen test with Karen Allen, his fellow co-star in National Lampoon’s Animal House in 1978. Matheson didn’t get the part but he continues to appear in several movies and TV series including Fletch, A Very Brady Sequel, and The West Wing, to name a few. The latter, where he appeared in 20 episodes, earned him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.
3. John Shea
John Shea’s acting resume stretches way back to the late ‘70s, appearing in numerous TV series and movies. But he was best known for playing Lex Luthor in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman series from 1993 to 1997. He was one of the actors considered for the role of Indiana Jones and got screen-tested with his friend, Karen Allen. Ironically, he showed up in an episode of the cop drama series Blue Bloods as Dr. Kirk Connor, where one of the recurring cast members was Tom Selleck.
4. Jack Nicholson
It’s hard to imagine the Oscar-winning actor of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and The Shining was considered to play Indiana Jones. Given his illustrious acting career that has won him numerous accolades, having Nicholson onboard seemed like an odd but interesting choice.
Although he turned down the role, he eventually had his lion’s share playing the iconic Joker in Tim Burton’s Batman eight years after the release of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Not only he commanded a big paycheck (a $6 million upfront plus a backend deal netted at $90 million or close to $200 million in today’s adjusted inflation) but also received top billing for an otherwise supporting role.
5. Nick Mancuso
The Italian-Canadian actor got his start as a stage actor. But it wasn’t until the 1981 acclaimed drama Ticket to Heaven finally earned him a breakthrough in a feature film. Not only the film garnered positive critical responses, but it also took home four Genie Awards out of 14 nominations. And one of which included a Best Actor victory for Nick Mancuso. He reportedly met Steven Spielberg four times to audition for the role of Indiana Jones. Nick even impressed the director that he became one of the top candidates, only to be eventually lost to Harrison Ford.
6. Nick Nolte
Nick Nolte had the experience of appearing in an adventure movie seen in The Deep in 1977. Not to mention acted in action films like Who’ll Stop the Rain in 1979. But when he got the offer to play Indiana Jones, he declined the part. Despite turning down the role, Nolte subsequently had several hit movies in the ‘80s and ‘90s, such as 48 Hrs. and Cape Fear. He even went on to earn his first Oscar nomination in the Best Actor category for The Prince of Tides.
7. Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase as Indiana Jones? This is the same guy from Saturday Night Live who appeared in comedy hits like Caddyshack, National Lampoon’s Vacation, and Fletch in the ‘80s. It’s hard to believe he was in the running to play Indiana Jones but didn’t get the part. Even without the role of Indiana Jones under his belt, Chase would go on to act in a barrage of comedy roles, notably playing Clark Griswold in four more Vacation movies.
8. Peter Coyote
Peter Coyote’s early acting roles in TV series and movies included Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story and Southern Comfort. When he was offered the chance to audition for the role of Indiana Jones in May 1980, the actor took the initiative of showing up with his own fedora. But he failed to secure the role, even though Steven Spielberg went on to cast him as Keys in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Coyote would go on to star in a decades-long worth of movies such as Jagged Edge, Bitter Moon, and Erin Brockovich.
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