Who played Forrest Gump?
Quick answer
Tom Hanks played the title character in Forrest Gump (1994), directed by Robert Zemeckis. Hanks won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the role, his second in a row after Philadelphia (1993). The film won six Oscars, including Best Picture.
Key facts
- Released
- July 1994
- Director
- Robert Zemeckis
- Based on
- Forrest Gump (1986), novel by Winston Groom
- Oscars won
- 6, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor
The cast
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Tom Hanks | Forrest Gump |
| Robin Wright | Jenny Curran |
| Gary Sinise | Lieutenant Dan Taylor |
| Sally Field | Mrs. Gump |
| Mykelti Williamson | Benjamin Buford “Bubba” Blue |
| Haley Joel Osment | Forrest Gump Jr. |
The story
Sitting on a bench in Savannah, Georgia, Forrest, a kind man from Alabama, tells strangers his life story. Without meaning to, he takes part in key moments of American history from the 1950s to the 1980s: playing college football, serving in Vietnam, becoming a ping-pong champion, starting a shrimp business and running across the country, all while loving his childhood friend Jenny.
Movie magic
The film used groundbreaking digital effects to place Hanks into real historical footage, so Forrest appears to meet presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon. Effects also removed actor Gary Sinise’s legs for scenes after Lieutenant Dan is wounded.
Its Oscars
Forrest Gump won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing and Best Visual Effects. It beat strong competition, including Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption.
Real-life spin-off
The film inspired the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company restaurant chain, which opened in 1996.
Robert Zemeckis also directed Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Tom Hanks has played many famous roles; for another 1990s classic, see Jurassic Park.
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