Harrison Ford has cemented a strong legacy in Hollywood by creating a plethora of interesting characters in TV shows and films. However, when it comes to the best of the best, one cannot overlook his successful Indiana Jones franchise. The 81-year-old actor portrayed the titular role of fictional adventurer and professor of archaeology starting with Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).
The franchise eventually released its fifth and final installment, The Dial of Destiny (2023) which also concluded Ford’s journey as Indy. However, he would have possibly lost his role without Steven Spielberg, who was committed to having the former in the project.
George Lucas Had Doubts About Harrison Ford
George Lucas, who is the mastermind behind the Star Wars franchise has also created Ford’s Indiana Jones franchise. But casting the titular character for the adventure franchise is quite an intriguing story which he discussed during an interview with the Empire Magazine.
Before he eventually decided to cast Ford for the Indy role, the former was quite reluctant with the idea. Instead of him, he wanted Tom Selleck to play the role, but Selleck departed from the project due to his contractual agreement to star in the CBS hit series, Magnum, P.I.
Lucas told Empire Magazine,
“I was wary of Harrison and I becoming like Scorsese and De Niro. I thought, ‘Let’s create a new icon.’ We found Tom Selleck, but as soon as the network heard, his option on Magnum P.I. got picked up.”
Given that Lucas had already worked with Harrison Ford in the Star Wars franchise, he was well-versed in the actor’s demands. The Indiana Jones creator continued,
“So then we were running short of time and Steven [Spielberg] said, ‘There’s always Harrison.’ I doubted he’d go for a three-picture deal – he didn’t want to on Star Wars.”
For the unversed, the Blade Runner actor had one major demand before signing the Star Wars contract. But, the actor eventually took a different route for his Indy role.
Steven Spielberg Played a Key Role in Harrison Ford’s Taking on Indiana Jones Role
Back at the time of signing the contract for the Lightsabers saga, the veteran actor refused to sign the sequel clause. He did not want to trap himself without understanding the potential of a particular project. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he shared,
“When I did the first Star Wars, the only objection I had to the contract was the sequel clause, which I didn’t sign…Because I didn’t want to be obliged. I wanted to see whether the one was successful before I was locked into two more. But, again, fate intervened.”
Although Lucas was skeptical about Ford’s choice, it was director, Steven Spielberg who asked him to shoot the shot.
“Steven said to try anyway. I went to Harrison and he read the script and said, “Yeah, I’ll do a three-picture deal. I’d love to.”
For the unversed, it was Spielberg who suggested casting the former after Lucas’s search to find a new icon was futile. In an interview with Yahoo, the actor revealed that Lucas was the one who asked him to read the 1981 movie script.
“I didn’t know that it was a script that someone else had read and was unable to take the job of Indiana Jones because of a contract, Tom Selleck.”
He was quite excited about working with the renowned director that he eventually signed up for the three-picture deal which went on to become one of the successful franchises in Hollywood.
All the Indiana Jones movies are now streaming on Disney+.
