The first film is set in 1936. Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is hired by government agents to locate the Ark of the Covenant, the gold plated chest containing the stone tablets Moses used to inscribe the Ten Commandments before the Nazi Germans steal it for themselves.
Before there was Harrison Ford, there was Tom Selleck. “Three Men and a Baby” alum Selleck, 78, was the first choice to play Indiana Jones in 1981's “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”
Jones is most famously portrayed by Harrison Ford and has also been portrayed by River Phoenix (as the young Jones in The Last Crusade), and by Corey Carrier, Sean Patrick Flanery, and George Hall in the television series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.
The movie that started it all follows archaeologist Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) as he tries to locate the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can get their hands on its mysterious mythical powers.
Tom Selleck: Indiana Jones in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'
Harrison Ford took the lead role in the franchise as the archeologist, but it could've been Tom Selleck. Karen Allen, who played Marion Ravenwood opposite Ford as Indiana Jones, revealed the Friends alum's TV career forced him to turn down the gig.
Every Actor Who's Played Indiana Jones Besides Harrison Ford
Who turned down the role of Forrest Gump?
John Travolta ('Forrest Gump')
He said he doesn't regret turning down the role because he was happy to appear in Pulp Fiction. He explained, “No, because if I didn't do something Tom Hanks did, then I did something else that was equally interesting or fun.
Yes, Selleck had the chance to star as the thrill-seeking archaeologist, but had to pass on it because he was committed to starring as Thomas Magnum on CBS' “Magnum, P.I.”
It turns out that before it became one of Harrison Ford's landmark roles, there was another leading man the Indiana Jones team were keen to hunt down. That man was Tom Selleck, who has just revealed that he was originally offered the role as the intrepid archaeologist, but decided not to don the famous hat and whip.
The real-life inspiration for Indiana Jones: Roy Chapman Andrews, an intrepid American explorer and paleontologist, blazed trails through uncharted lands, unearthing treasures both ancient and profound.
Raiders of the Lost Ark's shoot began in June 1980, (via LucasFilm) which meant that Harrison was 37 years old when he started filming the movie, the same age as Indiana Jones himself. However, as principal photography continued until September and lasted for 72 days, Ford is 38 years old in most of the scenes.
Tom Selleck, now 78, is said to have been offered the role by creator George Lucas, now 79, and director Steven Spielberg, now 76, first after having screen tested for it.
Sean Connery was chosen to play Indiana Jones' father, Henry Jones Sr., in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade because of his iconic performance as James Bond. Connery's portrayal of Henry Jones Sr.
Harrison Ford was asked how he came to play the now-famous character. Surprisingly, the 80-year-old actor was not the first choice. "How I got the job? Tom Selleck had the job, but he also incurred an obligation to do a television series and he was unable to get out of that contract.
Tom Selleck was offered the Indiana Jones role but couldn't do it. He has no regrets. Of course, it ended up becoming one of Harrison Ford's defining roles. Tom Selleck on memoir, 'accidental' 50-year career, 'Magnum, P.I.'
Tom Selleck was approached to play the role of Indiana Jones, but he declined because he was committed to his role on Magnum P.I. The actor's strike of 1980 would have given Tom Selleck the opportunity to play the role, but it's one of those, “what could have been” moments.
How did Indiana Jones get his name and who named him? In the movie, Indiana was the name of his dog, he loved the dog so much he names himself after the dog. In real life, George Lucas names the character after his dog Indiana. Indys real name is Henry Jones Jr.
Indiana Jones is a film franchise that started in 1981 as a collaboration between Lucasfilm (the production company) and Paramount Pictures (the distributor). Following their acquisition of the production company in 2012, The Walt Disney Company currently owns the rights to any forthcoming films and television series.
It's implied that Marion was a minor when Indiana Jones had a relationship with her. Allen, who plays Marion in the franchise, believes she was 16 when they had their first fling. "I don't think of him as a pedophile," Allen told Uproxx.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Selleck was forced to drop out of the first Indiana Jones movie after he committed to film Magnum P.I. instead.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Connery said in 2007: “I spoke with Spielberg, but it didn't work out. It was not that generous a part, worth getting back into the harness and go for. And they had taken the story in a different line anyway, so the father of Indy was kind of really not that important.
In Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Harrison Ford closes out his chapter in what's been often referred to as “the role of a lifetime.” Ford began the franchise in 1981 when he was 39 and now, at 81, has literally had this gig for half of his life.
