Here's a cast and character guide for adventure classic Raiders Of The Lost Ark. Steven Spielberg really wanted to direct a James Bond movie in the 1970s, but since the series was almost entirely a British affair at the time, this looked very unlikely. George Lucas instead suggested he channel that energy into a project he was developing that eventually became Raiders Of The Lost Ark, which featured the adventures of archeologist Indiana Jones. Lucas intended the movie to be an homage to old adventure serials like Flash Gordon, and Harrison Ford later signed on to star after Tom Selleck was forced to pass, due to his commitment to the then-upcoming Magnum P.I.
Raiders Of The Lost Ark was a true blockbuster upon release and is now considered one of Spielberg's best. It's a film loaded with great characters, action and dialogue, and it's hard to picture anyone but Ford in the role now. The character returned for three sequels directed by Spielberg, in addition to a TV series and countless video games Harrison Ford is set to reprise the part one last time for the forthcoming Indiana Jones 5, which is to be directed by James Mangold.
Here's a character guide for Raiders Of The Lost Ark, and the actors who played them.
Harrison Ford - Indiana Jones
George Lucas was initially against the casting of Ford for Indiana Jones because of their Star Wars connection, but thankfully he relented. Indiana is one half professor / one half dashing adventurer who travels the globe in search of mystical items. While he prefers to avoid danger it often finds him, but he's quite useful with a gun, his fists and his whip. He has a temperamental romance with Marion, and at one point delays her rescue in favor of recovering the Ark of the Covenant first.
Karen Allen - Marion Ravenwood
Karen Allen plays Marion Ravenwood in Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Indy's former flame and daughter of the late Abner, his mentor. She accompanies him on his quest to Cairo to recover the Ark and is later kidnapped by the Nazis. Marion is quite resourceful in her own right and shows a talent for being able to hold her drink; the character later returned for Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull.
Paul Freeman - Rene Belloq
Hot Fuzz's Paul Freeman is Belloq, Raiders Of The Lost Ark's chief villain and a rival to Indiana. He has a habit of swooping in and stealing items Indy recovers after he's done all the work and later becomes smitten with Marion. He's employed by the Nazis to recover the Ark, but his lack of respect for its power costs him dearly.
John Rhys-Davies - Sallah
Sallah is an old friend of Indiana, who comes to see him in Cairo when Sallah is hired to dig by the Nazis. He helps Indiana find the Ark's resting place and is an all-around dependable mate. John Rhys-Davies plays the role, who is a veteran actor best known for playing Gimli in The Lord Of The Rings trilogy.
Ronald Lacey - Major Arnold Toht
Ronald Lacey plays Raiders Of The Lost Ark's other major villain Toht, a Gestapo agent aiding the search for the Ark. He's a violent, sadistic little creep whose palm is branded by the Staff of Ra headpiece when he tries to touch it; he also suffers the movie's most nightmarish death.