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Tom Selleck became a private detective when he portrayed the role of Magnum inMagnum P.I.The actor later became the police commissioner of New York inBlue Bloods.However, Selleck was never able to become a world-renowned archeologist in Harrison Ford’sIndiana Jonesfranchise!
Although many people would know Selleck for his various roles in movies and series, what many fans do not know is that the actor was once attached to the role of Indiana Jones! He was later replaced by Harrison Ford and that… proved to be a challenge.
Tom Selleck Was Cast as Indiana Jones Before Harrison Ford
The year was 1981 whenSteven Spielberg’siconic film was released. Starring Harrison Ford in the lead role,Raiders of the Lost Arkfound worldwide fame and critical acclaim.
The world loved seeing Harrison Ford don the iconic fedora hat and a whip in his portrayal of the world-renowned archeologist. However, Ford wasn’t the director’s first choice for the role.
Due to his physicality, Tom Selleck was chosen for the role of Indy Jones. The actor even gave a screenplay test which both Spielberg and George Lucas found remarkable.
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However, due to his commitments to the iconic showMagnum P.I., the actor had to leave theIndiana Jonesfranchise and drop the fedora hat. Although it was an understandable decision, the abrupt end caused a major change in the production of the 1981 film.
All The Costumes Were Made For Tom Selleck
Costume designer Deborah Nadoolman Landis wasn’t able to find a fedora that would be a part of the iconic Indiana Jones outfit. Since it was the 1980s, fedoras weren’t in fashion, but she was undeterred.
When she found a hat that looked similar to the fedora, she picked it up and designed it alongside the outfit according toTom Selleck’smeasurements. When Selleck walked out of the film, this proved to be a tough challenge for Nadoolman Landis.
In an interview withDeadline, Landis remarked that after Selleck, she had to redesign the entire outfit and the fedora hat according toHarrison Ford’smeasurements.
I remade the leather jacket at Berman and Nathans Costumiers in Camden Town and the hat at [New Bond Street hatters] Herbert Johnson […] I had gone to Herbert Johnson and they had nothing to suit. Absolutely nothing, no brown fedoras. Why would they in 1981?
She further continued,
Herbert Johnson did have a hat which was called the Australian. So, think about ‘Crocodile Dundee.’ It was up on one side and had a very large brim… So, I said ‘I’ll have that one.’ We remade it. I redesigned it for Harrison… it was all bespoke… I fulfilled my job, which was to bring Steve Spielberg’s vision to life.
And fulfill her job she did (and quite admirably, we might add) since Indiana Jones’ iconic fedora hat became a global pop culture icon for the character. Harrison Ford later wore the outfit designed by Landis andthe world fell in love with Indiana Jonesupon the film’s release.
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Raiders of the Lost Arkreceived a rating of 8.4/10 on IMDB and a whopping 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. Suffice it to say, that the character of Indiana Jones has become immortal.The iconic 1981 film is available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.
Visarg Acharya
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3264
Visarg Acharya is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on movies, with over 3000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past three years and a copywriter at a corporation. Visarg usually covers news and theories on the MCU and the DCU, with an emphasis on Avengers and Superman; Game of Thrones, and more.A Tarantino fan, Visarg, spends his time critiquing various directors’ filmographies and watching them with curiosity. Medieval fantasy like The Lord of the Rings or sci-fi movies like Interstellar, watching the latest horror movies, and listening to Hans Zimmer become his comfort zone. When idle, he can be found reading fantasy novels with a terrible cup of coffee in hand.
