Long before Tom Selleck became the mustachioed face of Magnum, P.I., he came remarkably close to playing one of the most famous movie heroes of all time.

Selleck auditioned for Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark — and Steven Spielberg and George Lucas wanted him for the role.

There was just one enormous problem.

Selleck had already made the pilot for Magnum, P.I.. When the television series was picked up, CBS had him under contract and would not release him to make Raiders. Selleck has repeatedly clarified that he didn’t simply reject Indiana Jones; contractual obligations prevented him from accepting the opportunity.

The part eventually went to Harrison Ford, and Raiders of the Lost Ark became one of Hollywood’s most celebrated adventure films.

Then came the cruel twist.

A 1980 actors’ strike delayed production of Magnum long enough that Selleck later realized he potentially could have made both projects after all.

For another actor, watching Harrison Ford become Indiana Jones might have been unbearable. Selleck, however, has said he went to see the movie and loved it. He also took something important from the experience: Spielberg and Lucas had believed he was capable of carrying such a major film, and that confidence stayed with him.

And the role Selleck did play changed his life anyway.

Magnum, P.I. transformed him into one of television’s biggest stars and established Thomas Magnum as one of the defining TV characters of the 1980s.

Decades later, Selleck appears at peace with the road he took. His career ultimately gave him Magnum, Three Men and a Baby, Jesse Stone and, much later, Frank Reagan on Blue Bloods.

But the question remains irresistible:

What would Hollywood history have looked like if Tom Selleck had put on Indiana Jones’ fedora instead of Harrison Ford?