37 Years Ago, George Lucas Rejected Sean Connery as Indiana Jones’ Dad—Here’s Why!

In 1989, five years after the dark and intense “Temple of Doom,” Steven Spielberg returned to direct a third Indiana Jones film! This time, with “The Last Crusade,” he revisited the spirit of the original adventure, “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”

In this installment, Professor Jones embarks on a quest for the Holy Grail itself! Joining him in this mystical artifact hunt is an unexpected ally, his own father, Henry Jones, portrayed by Sean Connery. Surprisingly, this casting choice did not sit well with George Lucas!

George Lucas’ Skepticism

Indeed, after hesitating to cast Harrison Ford as Indy, the Star Wars creator was dubious about Sean Connery as well. For Steven Spielberg, the former James Bond was the perfect fit to play the adventurer’s father, and was indeed his first choice. Nevertheless, he kept Gregory Peck in mind as a backup in case the Scottish actor declined the role.

According to Spielberg, only Sean Connery had the charisma necessary to hold his own against Harrison Ford. “I was terrified that Harrison, who has a very strong screen presence, would completely overshadow anyone else playing his father!” the director explained, as noted by Alexis Orsini in Harrison Ford, the Actor Who Didn’t Want to Be a Star, published by Dunod.

However, George Lucas did not agree with his long-time colleague, who had always dreamt of directing a James Bond film. Having Sean Connery in the third installment would allow him to somewhat live out this unfulfilled dream. But that was exactly Lucas’s concern. Connery’s image was still too closely linked to James Bond, and he feared this could lead to an ego clash backstage, or a duel between Indy and Her Majesty’s secret agent.

Sean Connery or No One

Lucas had similar concerns back in 1981; he thought Harrison Ford might not be credible as Indiana Jones because he was already Han Solo in Star Wars. It was Ford himself who strongly supported Spielberg’s decision to cast Sean Connery, eager to act alongside the cinema legend. Ultimately, George Lucas had to relent.

Connery himself had some reservations. He was only 12 years older than Harrison Ford, which he didn’t feel was enough of an age difference to convincingly play his father. He was also disappointed to only appear in the second act, which he thought came too late. However, he accepted the offer after Spielberg allowed him to make some changes to the script.

Thus, Sean Connery brought a lighter, more humorous tone to the character of Henry Jones. Once the cameras started rolling between him and Harrison Ford, the chemistry was instant, and George Lucas admitted he had been mistaken. “The Last Crusade” went on to be a phenomenal box office success, grossing $474 million on a budget of less than $50 million.

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