Tom Selleck recounts CBS preventing the 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' role

The catch here is that Selleck never actually turned down the role. The mustache himself set the record straight on Letterman, laying the blame at the feet of CBS:

“They held the offer out about a month. And the more they held out the offer and talked to the network, the more the network said, ‘no…’

So I go to Hawaii to start Magnum, the actors go on strike, and I had given my deposit to a landlady and I couldn’t afford a security deposit. So I start working as a handy man, in Hawaii, with no job. And guess who comes to Hawaii to finish their movie? Raiders of the Lost Ark. So I could’ve done them both.”

Who are Steven Spielberg and George Lucas pointing and looking at?

Hey there goes that guy we almost hired to be Indiana Jones....what's his name again?

Tim...right? Tim something

Wikipedia updated: CBS to blame for Selleck NOT being Indiana Jones

It would have changed the course of many movies and some television shows thereafter. Harrison Ford has become a movie icon, while Magnum P.I. opened up the crime genre for the 80s with several owing their success to CBS’s high ratings. It’s impossible to imagine anyone other than Ford as Indiana Jones.

From Wikipedia:

During an intensive casting process, Lucas and Spielberg auditioned many actors, and finally cast then little-known actor Tom Selleck as Indiana Jones. Shortly afterward pre-productionbegan in earnest on Raiders of the Lost Ark.However, CBS refused to release Selleck from his contractual commitment to Magnum, P.I. (which was gradually gaining momentum in theratings), forcing him to turn down the role.One of CBS’s concerns was that shooting forMagnum P.I. conflicted with shooting for Raiders, both of which were to begin about the same time. However, Selleck was to say later in an interview that shooting for Magnum P.I.was delayed and did not actually begin until shooting for Raiders had concluded.

Raiding the Lost Ark documentary visits classic film

@jamieswb Raiding the Lost Ark: A Filmumentary - Part 1 from jambe davdar on Vimeo.

Check out more: http://spielbergfanclub.com/2011/11/watch-17-min-clip-of-raiders-of-the-lost-ark-documentary/

Tom Selleck on 'rotten deal' - Raiders of the Lost Ark

TOM SELLECK is still waiting to work with STEVEN SPIELBERG, more than a quarter of a century after he missed out on the chance to play INDIANA JONES. Selleck was offered the role of the swashbuckling archeologist in 1981's Raider's of the Lost Ark, but was contracted to star in Magnum, P.I. and a studio dispute forced Spielberg to hire Harrison Ford instead. The director promised Selleck they would make a movie together - and the 62 year old is still waiting. He says,

"I still have a letter from Steven Spielberg saying what a rotten deal I'd gotten and that I had a part out there and somewhere along the line we are going to work together. "I haven't played that card yet."

-December 2007

Tom Selleck interview: talks Indiana Jones role

from an interview September 30, 2010 with Collider


What did you think Magnum was going to be when it started?

Tom: Thirteen paychecks. We were picked up, and that was the best thing that ever happened. I didn’t know past that. It almost didn’t go because CBS got in a fight with Universal. Universal said, “We’re not shooting it in Hawaii,” and CBS said, “We bought a show for Hawaii.” It was off the schedule after it sold, so it was a bit of a roller-coaster for awhile. Then, I went over there to start it and the Screen Actors Guild went on strike. I was stuck with a rent I couldn’t afford and worked for my landlady for seven bucks and hour, so I didn’t have to give up my security deposit until the show actually started.

Is that when you almost got the Indiana Jones role?

Tom: Yeah, I couldn’t do it. Bob Daly wouldn’t let me do it. I got offered Indiana Jones, after I did the pilot. While it turned out I could’ve done both, CBS said, “No, we’ve got a contract.”

Was that disappointing?

Tom: Yeah.

More disappointing when you saw the box office?

Tom: No. Steven [Spielberg] and George [Lucas] let me read the script. Up until then, I was pretty philosophic because I thought Magnum was probably going to sell and I told them that. They said, “We’re not worried about that. We’ve got cards to play with the network.” I screen-tested without seeing the script, and they let me go into an office when they made me the offer, so that I could read the script. I went, “Oh, my God!” because it was all there. It was on paper. They held out the offer for about a month. Harrison gets sick of this because he’s indelible. He’s Indiana Jones. It’s just an interesting story and I’m proud that I didn’t drive my car into a wall. I lived up to my contract and things didn’t work out so badly.

Photoshopped Tom Selleck & Sean Young photo "Raiders of the Lost Ark"

Back in the early 80s, you took the measure of a man based on the luxuriousness of his perm and mustache, and so it was that when casting Raiders of the Lost Ark, the obvious first choice was apparently Tom Selleck.

Check out this photo shopped masterpiece of "Raiders" starring Tom and the always wonderful Sean Young.

Selleck Still Waiting for Indiana Jones Payback

Tom Selleck is still waiting to work with STEVEN SPIELBERG, more than a quarter of a century after he missed out on the chance to play INDIANA JONES. Selleck was offered the role of the swashbuckling archeologist in 1981's Raider's of the Lost Ark, but was contracted to star in Magnum, P.I. and a studio dispute forced Spielberg to hire Harrison Ford instead.

The director promised Selleck they would make a movie together - and the 62 year old is still waiting. He says, "I still have a letter from Steven Spielberg saying what a rotten deal I'd gotten and that I had a part out there and somewhere along the line we are going to work together. I haven't played that card yet." (IG/CA/MT)

BY: WENN | Wednesday, December 5, 2007

http://www.atpictures.com/news.php?id=4523

WATCH: Fanmade "Raiders of the Lost Ark" trailer with Tom Selleck

Trailer rotated in white and black (in homage to the serial of adventures of the years 30 and 40) of this movie directed by Steven Spielberg and taken place by George Lucas, and that it has an excellent trio main character:

- Tom Selleck (Indiana Jones). Lucas´s woman, Marcia, thought of the actor to interpret the character. Tom carries out his test together with Sean Young, being so good his performance that the producers gave him the paper in April of 1.980. "Selleck was ideal", Lucas thought.

- Debra Winger (Marion Ravenwood). The young actress you presents to the tests for the paper of Marion in January of 1.980, being in all the lists of candidates of Spielberg, Lucas, Frank Marshall and Kathy Kennedy until April of that same year. Being selected for the paper of Marion, after to win a voting by hand run of with to its but strong rival. Sean Young.

- Danny De Vito. (Sallah). Spielberg thought of the actor so that interprets the Bedouin Egyptian softly and friend of Indy. The actor accepts it charmed.

R2D2 & C3PO in "Raiders of the Lost" Well of Souls

This photo is one of the hieroglyphics in the Well of Souls from "Raiders of the Lost Ark" paying tribute to "Star Wars"