Harrison Ford Hated The Costumes For His Best Character
Deadline reports that Harrison Ford initially had apprehensions toward his Indiana Jones costume prior to filming Raiders of the Lost Ark. It’s not necessarily that he hated the costume, but in a recent interview with GQ, Ford said that he was first confused about the now iconic getup that’s synonymous with Indiana Jones, and that his “questions about it were many.”
Hindsight tells us that even though Ford had his doubts about the whip, fedora, and leather jacket, we couldn’t imagine Indiana Jones dressing any other way, and we’re glad that he got the clarification he needed to confidently dress for the role.
“Why am I carrying a whip? What am I going to do with a f*cking whip? I’m going to whip people?”
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford‘s concerns about the whip and leather jacket were valid when you consider the context.
Sure, a leather jacket is always a classic look, but he was right to be concerned about wearing one in the jungle and desert because of the warm climates. In regard to the whip, Ford wasn’t so sure what the purpose was, and he recalled asking “why am I carrying a whip? What am I going to do with a f*cking whip?”
Character development and wardrobe doubts aside, it was explained to Harrison Ford that the Indiana Jones character, as well as his costume were an “evocation of a time,” and “a reflection of movies past.
It seems that this was all that Ford needed to hear while 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark was being developed, and it quickly became evident that he was 100 percent committed to the character once he got the guidance he needed in pursuing one of his most iconic roles.
Sure, a leather jacket is always a classic look, but he was right to be concerned about wearing one in the jungle and desert because of the warm climates.
This line of thinking makes sense when you look back at films like 1937’s Zorro Rides Again, in which the film’s titular made frequent use of a bullwhip, and like Indiana Jones, kept it coiled in his belt while not in use.
Speaking on his commitment to his role as Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford revealed that he still has faded scars on his forehead from the times he affixed his fedora to his head with a staple gun, and there is behind-the-scenes footage to prove it!
But it’s worth noting that the clip in question appears to be more of a gag than the actual use of a staple gun, and we’d imagine that he’d be in a lot more pain if he actually followed through with the bit. Though Ford has gone on record saying that this actually happened, costume designer Deborah Nadoolman Landis has stated in the past that he actually just had a perfectly fitted hat that allowed it to say in place on his head, but who are we to get in the way of a good story?
Even though Ford had his doubts about the whip, fedora, and leather jacket, we couldn’t imagine Indiana Jones dressing any other way, and we’re glad that he got the clarification he needed to confidently dress for the role.
Landis also mentioned in an interview with The Fedora Chronicles that thanks to the fact that you never truly see a stunt man’s face, they were able to use chin straps to keep Indiana Jones‘ hat secure during some of the more intense action sequences.
And when you consider how Harrison Ford has a tendency to get injured on the set, something he jokes about in the interview, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that the scars he’s referencing are actually from a different on-set injury!
