Why Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones Only Had A Beard In A Single Scene
Indiana Jones, the legendary adventurer, is known for his iconic hat and whip, but there's a unique quirk about his appearance that often goes unnoticed by fans: he's never been seen with a beard. Despite his adventurous life, Indy rarely sports anything more than a five o'clock shadow, even in the latest film, 'Indiana Jones and Dial of Destiny,' set during the '60s beard boom. But here's the intriguing twist: in the early 1990s, during the TV series 'The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles,' Harrison Ford played a middle-aged Indy, and he had a beard!
In the episode 'Indiana Jones and the Mystery of the Blues,' set in the early 1950s, Ford's character briefly sports a beard, a moment that might have been missed by many fans. This raises an interesting question: why did Indy abandon the beard in the main films? The answer lies in the timeline of the franchise. The next official appearance of Ford as Indy was in the fourth movie, 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,' set in 1957, suggesting a few years of experimentation with facial hair.
Some fans have expressed a desire to see Indy with a beard, believing it would have added depth to his character's aging process. They argue that a beard could have indicated his age while also hiding the signs of aging, making him look younger at first glance. In contrast, the clean-shaven Indy in the later films might have been a desperate attempt to revert to the youthful vibes of the original trilogy, inadvertently drawing more attention to his age.
The series 'The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles' offers a glimpse into a different era of Indy's life, and fans have long reminisced about that brief moment of bearded Indy. One fan on the 'Indiana Jones' subreddit expressed their longing, saying, 'I wish he had it in the new movie.' Another fan echoed this sentiment, suggesting that Indy should embrace the American Gandalf look as he ages. However, if fans are craving a bearded Ford, they might find a similar look in his role as a shirtless, rugged character in the 2020 film 'The Call of the Wild.'
During the press tour for 'The Call of the Wild,' Ford revealed a reason behind his characters' clean-shaven look: his wife's preference. He humorously mentioned that his wife, Calista Flockhart, wouldn't forgive him for growing a beard, as he had to shave it off and regrow it multiple times for the film's reshoots.
