Iconic Costume Left Lead Disney Actor With Staple Scars

There’s no question that the Walt Disney Company and its subsidiaries own characters with iconic costumes that fans are always excited to replicate. It turns out that even looks that have been recognizable over four decades may not have started out so magical. In a recent interview with GQ, the legendary Harrison Ford told his true thoughts on his beloved Indiana Jones costume and the very real scars he still has from the getup.

Credit: Lucasfilm

Of all the costumes under the Walt Disney Company umbrella, I would not have guessed that the Indiana Jones costume would be the one to leave a mark. Some crazy prosthetics from the Star Wars franchise or some high-tech gadgets created for the Marvel Cinematic Universe would’ve made more sense. But apparently, 40 years ago, Indiana Jones himself suffered staple scars from his most beloved accessory – his iconic hat.

The classic brown pinch-hat fedora (that my dad alone owns twelve of) was literally stapled to Harrison Ford‘s head for the action scenes in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Surely there could have been a better way to keep his hat from flying off during these active scenes, but Ford insisted that he still had the scars to prove it. So Dr. Jones’ hat perhaps wouldn’t work on a real jungle adventure, but fans couldn’t imagine him without it.

Credit: Lucasfilm

Harrison Ford also revealed that he immediately questioned the validity of Indiana Jones’ outfit the minute he saw it all those years ago. Sure, a wide-brimmed fedora isn’t practical for Jones’ jungle stunts, but neither is a leather jacket! And as far as whips go…how useful are they really? Here’s what Ford told GQ about his initial reaction:

[The Indiana Jones costume] was presented to me as an aspect of character in the first film. My questions about it were many. Why am I wearing a leather jacket in the jungle? Isn’t it hot here? Why am I carrying a whip? What am I going to do with a f***ing whip? I’m going to whip people?

Once the Indiana Jones creators described that the costume, especially the hat, was meant to evoke and reflect a certain time and movies of the past, Ford didn’t argue. Check out the full video interview below:

You can see the iconic look one more time on the big screen in the fifth installment of the adventure film series! Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is in theaters now.