For Jones' love interest, Marion, Spielberg wanted someone akin to early 20th-century leading ladies like Irene Dunne, Barbara Stanwyck, and Ann Sheridan, who could hold their own against their male counterparts. Lucas wanted Debra Winger, but she was not interested, and Spielberg wanted his girlfriend Amy Irving, but she was unavailable. They also considered Barbara Hershey and Sean Young. Karen Allen impressed Spielberg with her professionalism during auditions. One of the first things Spielberg asked Allen was "how well do you spit?" Allen developed a backstory for Marion that included her mother's death and her affair with Jones when she was 15–16, but Spielberg said it belonged in a different movie. Kasdan named Marion after his wife's grandmother, and took Ravenwood from a Los Angeles street.