Tom Selleck Reflects on the Complex Decision That Led Him to Turn Down the Indiana Jones Role

Tom Selleck never intended to become an actor, he reveals to PEOPLE. Now, at 79, as he looks back on his remarkable five-decade career in Hollywood, it’s clear that fate led him down the right path.

Selleck’s journey began unexpectedly. While attending the University of Southern California on a full basketball scholarship and majoring in business administration, he landed his first acting gig as a basketball player in a Pepsi commercial. This early exposure led to appearances on “The Dating Game” and “The Young and the Restless,” eventually culminating in his iconic role as Magnum in Magnum, P.I.

“It’s really a story of an accidental career,” Selleck says. “I’d never taken an acting class. I had no training, no desire.” In his upcoming memoir, You Never Know (available May 7 from Dey Street Books), he delves into his unconventional path and the lessons learned along the way.

“Acting involves a lot of failure—endless failure,” he explains. “If you’re going to enter this business, you better develop a taste for it. It’s a long road.” Part of that journey included auditioning for the lead role in Raiders of the Lost Ark while waiting to hear if the Magnum, P.I. pilot would be picked up.

In an exclusive excerpt from You Never Know, Selleck recalls his audition for the iconic role of Indiana Jones:

“When I walked into the room for the audition, it was just Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. I wasn’t particularly nervous. As a big Star Wars fan, I was thrilled to meet them. It was a great distraction from my anxiety about the Magnum pilot.

I was called in to read for the lead role, but I wasn’t allowed to see the script or test pages beforehand. Steven greeted me warmly, gave me the pages for the audition, and assured me to take my time. The wardrobe—a hat and leather jacket—helped me get into the period.

On my drive home, I thought about how many people they were testing and what might happen if Magnum was picked up. The possibility of being part of the next big franchise after Star Wars was exciting but daunting.

When Steven told me they wanted me to play Indiana Jones, I might have muttered something in response, but I hope I at least said thank you. They handed me the script, and Steven told me to read it and share my thoughts.

As I read the script, I was blown away. The scene where Indy is chased by a massive boulder was thrilling. It reminded me of the Saturday-matinee movie serials I loved as a kid and the opening crawl of Star Wars. The whole movie felt vivid and complete in that script.

Ultimately, I had to turn down the role because Magnum P.I. was sold to CBS and was set to start shooting. The role of Indiana Jones went to Harrison Ford.

From You Never Know by Tom Selleck. Excerpted with permission from Dey Street Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.