Harrison Ford Thanks Tom Selleck For Dropping Out Of Indiana Jones Role

It is a pretty well-known fact that Harrison Ford was not the first choice to play Indiana Jones, and in another world Tom Selleck could have been the one cracking the whip in the adventure franchise. As Ford now promotes his final outing as Indy in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the veteran actor answered the question of how he got the job as the world’s greatest archeologist, and made sure he gave credit where it was due.

As per Deadline, Ford appeared with his Dial of Destiny co-stars Mads Mikkelsen and Phoebe Waller-Bridge on Sunday at Italy’s Taormina Film Festival. Mentioning Selleck’s inability to take on the role of Indy all those years ago, Ford said:

“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. I became the second choice, and I’m very grateful for Tom. Thank you, Tom, man. If you’re listening, thank you again.”

Ford continued to explain how as “second choice” he was given a very specific moment to get his thoughts together and claim the role as his own. He added:

“He said ‘I want you to read it right away, I want you to read it in an hour.’ I sat down, I read it an an hour, and he said ‘I want you to go over to Steven Spielberg’s house and talk to him,’ ” the actor detailed. “I went to Steven Spielberg’s house, I had never met Steven Spielberg before. I guess about an hour later I had the job.”

Related: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Review: A Terrific Send-Off to an Icon

Harrison Ford Has Been an Integral Part of Indiana Jones’ Success.

There are many actors who take on roles as a second, third or even fourth choice who go on to be irreplaceable, and Harrison Ford in the role of Indiana Jones is one of them. Although there is no way of knowing what the Indiana Jones franchise would look like if Tom Selleck had been able to take on the role and had not been tied to Magnum P.I., it is hard to imagine that it could have been any more successful than it has been, and it would probably not have made it to a fifth movie.

There has always been something about Harrison Ford in the role of Jones that has made many audiences forgive some of the more dubious moments the franchise has thrown up. That seems to be the case again in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which takes a bigger leap in the believability stakes than even the aliens of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Critics have so far been split over whether this is a worthy swansong for the old artifact hunter, but audiences will get their chance to make their minds up later this week.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will arrive in cinemas on June 30.