The best alternate Indy?

Raiders90

Well-known member
Of the dozens of actors who were either tested or auditioned for the role of Indy, the following three names are the only ones known:

Tom Selleck (screen tested and signed as Indy, had to drop the role two weeks before filming)

Tim Matheson (screentested)

Peter Coyote (auditioned)

Of these three known "would've been" Indys, who do you think might've done the most justice to the role?
 

Duaner

New member
Selleck would have been good if he had been able to play Indy. Just watch "High Road to China" or any of his TV western films and you see that he has that tough guy charm similar to Harrison Ford.
 

Z dweller

Well-known member
Yep, Selleck gets my vote too.
He was the beards' first choice for a reason, and I'm sure he'd have been a terrific Indy.

That's not to say that I'm complaining about how things turned out, of course. ;)
 

Duaner

New member
Honestly I think Raiders was so much fun and so well-written, produced, and directed that whoever they had cast as Indy would have become a huge star.
 

Tibor

Member
Honestly, I don't think so. There's a lot more subtlety to Ford's performance. My problem with Selleck is at 6'4" he's a bit too imposing to play the tenacious underdog archaeologist I like. So much of what we came to know as Indy was due to Ford, not the script.

To me, Raiders was lightning in a bottle; just the perfect cast, director, costumes, locations, script, editing, sound... Sometimes it all comes together in one movie. There aren't too many, but this is one of those times. I enjoy TOD, LC, and CS, but Raiders is art above all the rest.
 
Granted, it was just a test reading, and Harrison's performance is synonymous with the character now, but the Selleck footage in the making-of is...just...off. Too prime time drama-y, lacking the gravitas Ford brought to the role; he believes in the wild situations he's put in so you, as the viewer, do, too.
 

Paul Pauley

Active member
A more interesting 'what-if' is different actors in the minor roles... Patrick Troughton as Marcus Brody in ROTLA? Joss Ackland as Walter Donovan in LC?
 

Duaner

New member
JollyGreenSlugg said:
A more interesting 'what-if' is different actors in the minor roles... Patrick Troughton as Marcus Brody in ROTLA? Joss Ackland as Walter Donovan in LC?

Don't forget Danny DeVito as Sallah, Sean Young or Debra Winger as Marion, Klaus Kinski as Toht, Gregory Peck or Jon Pertwee as Professor Henry Jones and the two I wish would have happened - David Niven as Captain Blumburtt and Sir Laurence Olivier as the Grail Knight.
 

Dana Scully

New member
Tibor said:
Honestly, I don't think so. There's a lot more subtlety to Ford's performance. My problem with Selleck is at 6'4" he's a bit too imposing to play the tenacious underdog archaeologist I like. So much of what we came to know as Indy was due to Ford, not the script.

I'm with Tibor here, Ford brings so much humility and wry humour to Indy. I imagine Selleck playing the role as much more of a straightforward action hero which would have removed a good deal of the character's likeability.

I would comment on the other actor choices but I've never heard of a majority of them. :p Minus Sean Young and yeah, no. She would have been terrible as Marion, she was beautiful but she has none of Karen Allen's wonderful brand of sassy charm whatsoever.

Edit: Oh, and of course I've heard of Danny DeVito, but as Sallah? Thank goodness things turned out the way they did.
 

Joosse

New member
Well, if anybody would have to step in Ford's shoes right now, my vote would go to Fox Lidstone.
 
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