Selleck was an accessible actor, but he spent years receiving little interest from the entertainment industry. His big break came when he was cast in the lead role as Thomas Magnum in "Magnum, P.I.". The producers would not release the actor for other projects, so Selleck had to pass on the role of Indiana Jones in "Raiders of the Lost Ark", which meant that the role went to actor Harrison Ford instead. It turned out that the shooting of the pilot for "Magnum" was delayed for over six months by a writers' strike, which would have enabled him to complete "Raiders".