It’s hard to believe, but it’s been 25 years since moviegoers first watched Forrest Gump sit down on that bus stop bench and utter a phrase that would go on to become one of the most iconic lines in cinema history.
Let’s see a few interesting facts we dint know:
- Hanks signed on for the role of Forrest an hour and a half after reading the script.
- He wasn’t the first choice to play Forrest, however. John Travolta was and the actor passed on the film, opting to star in Pulp Fiction instead. He’s since admitted that he regrets his decision. Other actors considered for the role were Bill Murray, Chevy Chase and Sean Penn.
- The film was based on Winston Groom’s novel 1986 novel of the same name. The writer would go on to acknowledge that the film had sanded down “the rough edges of the character,” as he told the New York Times—a character he envisioned being played by John Goodman.
- Before Gary Sinise landed the role of Lt. Dan Taylor, Home Alone actor Joe Pesci was reportedly considered, a casting choice that would’ve really given a much different flavor to the film.
- The rosary with a St. Christopher medal inscribed “Protect Us In Combat” that Sinise’s Lt. Dan wears while in Vietnam were no mere prop. They actually belonged to the actor’s brother-in-law, Jack Treese, and were worn by him while he served his country in that very war in 1967-68.
- Forrest Gump is the first of three films that Hanks and Sinise have starred in together, followed by Apollo 13 and The Green Mile. All three would be nominated for Best Picture. Only Forrest Gump would win.
- Despite playing Forrest’s mother, Sally Field is only 10 years older than Hanks. Just six years prior, she was playing his love interest in the film Punchline.
- A sequel to the film was in the works for years, to be based on Groom’s sequel book as a way of settling Groom’s dispute with Paramount over his pay for Forrest Gump.
