Harrison Ford is currently embarking on one final adventure as an archaeologist in Indiana Jones and the Wheel of Destiny. It is the fifth installment in a blockbuster series that established its fame alongside Star Wars. He did four of the Indy films with director Steven Spielberg, but there would have been more collaborations between the two – Had Ford not turned down two major roles. But one after anonther …
Harrison Ford had a cameo in the sci-fi masterpiece ET
In 1982, a year after Raiders of the Lost Ark, Spielberg’s science fiction classic ET was released. Harrison Ford was supposed to appear in it. He even shot a scene.
ET follows 10-year-old Elliott (Henry Thomas)’s friendship with an alien. The two develop some kind of supernatural connection, leading Elliott to free the frogs in his school class. That’s where Harrison Ford’s near-appearance comes into play.
The Han Solo and Indiana Jones actor took on the role of the strict school principal for one scene, who gives Elliott a lecture after the frog action. The camera shows Ford from behind, we only hear his voice. As ET levitates objects around the house at the same time, Elliott is lifted up in his chair. You can watch the scene that didn’t make it into the film here:
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The audience had to do without the cameo, but Steven Spielberg made a dream come true for Henry Thomas: he got to shoot with his idol Harrison Ford, as he told Entertainment Weekly in 2017.
The Indiana Jones star was the top pick for Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List
Nearly Spielberg would have made two other films with Harrison Ford as well. First, there is Jurassic Park. Ford was Spielberg’s first choice for the role of paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant, who, with other experts, takes a close look at a planned amusement park with real dinosaurs. In 2011, Spielberg revealed (in the presence of Harrison Ford) at a Q&A that he was the first person to offer Ford the role. But he refused for unknown reasons. After further unsuccessful efforts, the part went to Sam Neill (via Looper).
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Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones
Also in 1993 was Steven Spielberg’s Holocaust drama Schindler’s List, starring Liam Neeson as the German industrialist and war profiteer who saved more than a thousand Jews from Nazi extermination. Spielberg initially envisioned his Indiana Jones star for the role. However, both sides decided against it. Ford allegedly declined because he considered himself the wrong cast for Oskar Schindler because of his Jewish heritage, Collider explains. Steven Spielberg, on the other hand, decided against big stars in the film in general. In an interview he said: “I wanted to avoid a whole latte from other films [der Stars] distracts from this one.”
Steven Spielberg received his first Oscar for Best Picture in 1994 for Schindler’s List. It was presented by his good friend Harrison Ford.
Podcast: Indiana Jones 5 – Worthy successor or failure?
In the new edition of the FILMSTARTS podcast on the screen, moderator Sebastian, editor Pascal and Yves from Moviepilot talk about Indiana Jones 5.
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The trio is quite divided about whether Harrison Ford’s last adventure as Indiana Jones was actually a success or a failure.
The screen love is the weekly cinema and film podcast of our colleagues from FILMSTARTS