The Only Major Actors Still Alive From Indiana Jones And The Raiders Of The Lost Ark
As the mixed critical response and lackluster box office for "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" emphatically proves, they simply don't make 'em like "Raiders of the Lost Ark" anymore.
When Roger Ebert reviewed Steven Spielberg's action-adventure classic back in 1981, he opined that it played like "an anthology of the best parts from all the Saturday matinee serials ever made." As it happens, that was pretty much George Lucas' idea when he dreamt up Indiana Jones in the first place — and what an idea it was. The Indiana Jones franchise has since become one of the biggest blockbuster sagas in cinema history, with Dr. Henry Jones Jr. himself ascending to the status of pop culture icon in the process.
While 1984's "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" has its defenders, and many fans of the series will swear 1989's "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" is just as good as "Raiders," there really is no substitute for Indy's first outing. Spielberg crafted a masterpiece of action-adventure filmmaking in 1981, and everything since has tried to match the action majesty of that first installment. Sadly, "Dial of Destiny" has surely brought the series to an undeniably anticlimactic close, with Harrison Ford set to hang up his fedora following his safer, less exciting final outing.
But at least we'll always have "Raiders," even if we won't always have the actors who brought it to life. Thankfully, thus far, none of the performers have met as face-meltingly insane a demise as Gestapo agent Major Arnold Toht does in the film's famous climax, but we've sadly lost many of the stars from this beloved classic. If you're wondering who's left from the cast of "Raiders" read on to find out.
Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones)
Next to Han Solo, Indiana Jones has got to be Harrison Ford's most recognizable role. That's saying something in a career as prolific and high-profile as Ford's. The man simply won't stop working, having crafted a career as one of the biggest movie stars on the planet, he can still be found riding horses across the Montana plains in "1923," showing off his comedic chops in Apple TV+'s "Shrinking," and taking his whip and fedora out for one last adventure in the aforementioned "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny."
In other words, at 81 Ford shows no signs of slowing down, and hasn't since he first starred in "Raiders." The year after Spielberg's action-adventure epic debuted, Ford starred in "Blade Runner," establishing in Rick Deckard yet another character who had a significant impact on wider culture, albeit in more of a cult classic film than any "Star Wars" or "Indiana Jones" outing. That same decade, he'd also reprise the role of Dr. Henry Jones Jr. in two further Indy movies: 1984's "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and 1989's "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."
Having established himself as a reliably bankable star throughout the '80s, Ford continued churning out hits in the following decade. 1993's "The Fugitive," and 1997's "Air Force One" stand out as prominent examples, but there was also 1994's "Clear and Present Danger," one of the best Jack Ryan films ever made.
In 2023, Ford returned as Indy for "Dial of Destiny," which although it failed at the box office, demonstrated that the veteran star is still going strong, performing as many of the stunts as he could and cursing out crew members who dared try helping him dismount from his horse.
Karen Allen (Marion Ravenwood)
The most memorable female companion Dr. Jones ever had, Karen Allen's Marion Ravenwood was a self-possessed badass who might have relied on Indy for protection at times, but maintained an earthy and defiant attitude throughout "Raiders." Which is why it was nice to see her return in 2008's "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," and "Dial of Destiny."
Between Marion Ravenwood's first appearance in "Raiders" and her return in "Crystal Skull," Karen Allen remained busy. Ravenwood was arguably the actor's breakthrough performance (though she undoubtedly caught her a big break with "National Lampoon's Animal House" three years earlier) and she continued to nab starring roles, including in 1984's "Starman" and opposite Bill Murray in 1988's "Scrooged." But the '80s also saw Allen focus on her theater career. A year after "Raiders" arrived, she made her Broadway debut in "The Monday After the Miracle" and continued acting on-stage throughout the decade.
Allen took a step back from acting in the '90s after she and husband Kale Brown welcomed a son in 1990 and decided to focus on raising him. Throughout the decade, she worked sporadically and divorced from Brown in 1998. Following that, Allen stayed relatively removed from acting, launching a line of knitwear and opening her own textile company, Karen Allen Fiber Arts in Great Barrington, MA. The actor made a return to the silver screen in 2008 when she once again played Marion Ravenwood in "Crystal Skull," much to the delight of Indy fans everywhere. She reprised the role again in 2023's "Dial of Destiny" proving the magic she brought to "Raiders" some 40 years earlier was still very much there.
Paul Freeman (René Belloq)
English actor Paul Freeman was delightfully diabolical as René Belloq, a French archeologist and archrival to Indiana Jones in "Raiders of the Lost Ark." After stealing the golden idol (which was really just a cheap souvenir) from Indy at the beginning of the film, Belloq aids the Nazis in their quest to recover the Ark of the Covenant, only to be killed by its contents when the spirits contained therein cause his head to explode during the film's intense climax. Although there weren't any head explosions, evidently, Freeman really was put through the wringer filming his scenes.
This Royal Shakespeare Company-trained thespian would go on to find himself somewhat typecast as a villain in the following years, playing various European baddies including Gustav Reibmann, head of The Cartel in CBS's "Falcon Crest", which ran from 1984 to '85. But in a distinguished career, surely one of Freeman's greatest roles (especially if you grew up in the '90s) was as the villainous Ivan Ooze in '95's "Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: The Movie" (you probably didn't even know it was him under all that makeup, did you?).
Since then, Freeman has continued to work. Though he never became a Hollywood megastar, his filmography remains impressive, with roles in 2007's "Hot Fuzz" and an ongoing TV career that has seen him show up in everything from "ER" to Showtime's "The Man Who Fell to Earth." Now 80, his most recent film appearance was in the 2022 thriller from director Sergio Dow, "The Man from Rome."
John Rhys-Davies (Sallah)
Prior to appearing in "Raiders," Welsh actor John Rhys-Davies had been acting for some time, crafting a TV career throughout the '70s that saw him star in shows such as "The Naked Civil Servant," "I, Claudius," and NBC's "Shogun." But there's no doubt his portrayal of Egyptian excavator Sallah in Steve Spielberg's inaugural Indiana Jones film remains one of his most recognizable and beloved performances.
Following "Raiders," Rhys-Davies suddenly found himself being offered a lot more movie roles, which resulted in him portraying KGB head Leonid Pushkin in the underrated James Bond entry "The Living Daylights" (1985). Before the decade was up, Rhys-Davies would return to the role of Sallah in 1989's "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," joining Harrison Ford and Sean Connery for the threequel to "Raiders."
As the '90s hit, Rhys-Davies began voice acting, with roles in Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski's seminal "Batman: The Animated Series," "Animaniacs," and "Spongebob Squarepants." But perhaps his most unlikely project came in 2003 when he narrated Steve-O and Chris Pontius' mad exploits for the MTV series "Wildboyz" from 2003 to 2006.
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art-trained actor took on what would become one of his best-known roles as Gimli in Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" films, before reprising the role of Sallah in "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny." Like his other veteran "Raiders" colleagues, the 79-year-old Rhys-Davies is still busy today, not only appearing in "Dial of Destiny" in 2023, but providing his voice for the bonkers adventure outing "Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom" and the video game "The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria."
Alfred Molina (Satipo)
Alfed Molina's part in "Raiders" is small, but his appearance as the duplicitous Peruvian guide Satipo is one of his most recognizable roles, if only because it marks the English actor's film debut. The actor has stated publicly that he owes his film career to Steven Spielberg and "Raiders," despite Satipo meeting a very quick end after stealing the golden idol from Indy only to get caught in a deadly spike trap. Molina certainly made the most of his brief screen time in the film, and even projected genuine fear when he found himself covered in real tarantulas during the spider scene.
Of course, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama alum went on to have an illustrious career both in film, TV, and on-stage. In the decades since "Raiders," Molina has received multiple BAFTA, Emmy, and Golden Globe nominations, though a win has, for some reason, always eluded him. Still, the man's filmography speaks for itself. Molina is one of the most prolific actors of the last few decades, and often draws critical acclaim for his performances.
Modern audiences will, of course, know him as Dr. Otto Octavius, or Doctor Octopus, from Sam Raimi's 2004 blockbuster sequel "Spider-Man 2," a role which he reprised for 2021's "Spider-Man: No Way Home." But you might also recall his brief but affecting appearance in "Promising Young Woman" as a distraught and regretful defense lawyer to whom Cary Mulligan's vengeful Cassie Thomas grants mercy. Among the best Alfred Molina movies, there's also his portrayal of drug dealer Rahad Jackson in Paul Thomas Anderson's, "Boogie Nights," and Frida Kahlo's husband Diego Rivera in 2002's "Frida."
Molina will soon appear in Doug Liman's upcoming heist thriller "The Instigators," proving that at 70 years old, he's just as capable as he's always been.
Wolf Kahler (Nazi officer Colonel Dietrich)
German actor Wolf Kahler appeared in "Raiders" as Oberst Herman Dietrich, a Nazi colonel who oversaw René Belloq's Ark of the Covenant excavation in Cairo. The stern Wehrmacht officer would meet a horrific death by the film's end, his head disintegrating after he dared to behold the contents of the Ark. While Colonel Dietrich wasn't the biggest role, Kahler certainly brought a level of menace to the part with his 6-foot 2-inch frame and austere aura.
Interestingly enough, Kahler would again play a Nazi officer named Dietrich in 1985's made-for-TV movie "The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission" — though this character was a version of real-life General Sepp Dietrich. The actor would continue working throughout the '80s and '90s, often portraying Nazi officers. That includes a role as KGB chairman Yuri Andropov in the Clint Eastwood-led "Firefox." But he also had a role in the original "Bourne Identity" (1988) and appeared alongside Anthony Hopkins in 1993's "The Remains of the Day."
If, like most '90s kids, you spent an unhealthy amount of time on the PlayStation during the '90s, you might be interested to know that Kahler lent his voice talents to the German dub of 1998's "Metal Gear Solid," playing Donald Anderson, Revolver Ocelot, and Jim Houseman. In fact, Kahler has maintained an ongoing career as a video game voice actor, appearing in the German dub of "Syphon Filter," "Half-Life 2," and the English and German versions of the "Crysis" series.
In 2011 Kahler portrayed Dr. Hoffmanstahl in "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows," before going on to play a German Commander in the 2017's "Wonder Woman." The veteran actor is still working today at the age of 83, most recently appearing in the 2023 biographical drama "The Great Escaper," starring Michael Caine.
Anthony Higgins (Major Gobler)
English actor Anthony Higgins had a relatively small part in "Raiders" as Dietrich's right-hand man Major Gobler. The strict Nazi officer is spared the face-melting fate of many of his cohorts when Indy sends him flying off a cliff after ramming his car with a truck.
By the time Higgins came to appear in Steven Spielberg's action-adventure classic, he'd already crafted an impressive acting career, having appeared in multiple stage productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company and making his film debut in 1969's "A Walk with Love and Death."
It wasn't until a year after "Raiders" that Higgins would land his breakthrough film role as Mr. Neville, the lead in Peter Greenaway's "The Draughtsman's Contract" (1982). Following that, the British actor continued to work consistently, appearing opposite Sting in 1985's "The Bride" and playing Sherlock Holmes in the 1993 TV movie "Sherlock Holmes Returns." His last film role was in 2014, when he played Lord Kinnaird in "United Passions," but he continued working in TV up until 2016, when he played Theodore Davis in ITV's "Tutankhamun" over in the UK. Now 76, Higgins hasn't appeared in any projects since.