Are there any trivia facts about Forest Gump I can use to wow my friends?

Answer 1

Released in 1994, "Forrest Gump" is an iconic American movie. Here are some things we'll bet you didn't know, including what Forrest said after his microphone was turned off at the peace rally.

The character was intended to be played by a different actor.

John Travolta was the first choice to play Forrest, but turned the role down. When he was writing the book, author Winston Groom envisioned John Goodman as Forrest.

The bench was worth a lot more than it looked.

The iconic bench on which Forrest sat sold at auction in 2013 for $25,000.

Bubba Gump Shrimp Company is everywhere now.

The Bubba Gump Shrimp Company was invented for the movie and is now a real restaurant chain with nearly 40 locations.

There won't be a sequel anytime soon.

The author of the original Forrest Gump book also wrote a sequel. In 2001, it was turned into a screenplay, but producers decided a follow-up movie was no longer relevant.

Haley Joel Osment's first role was in "Forrest Gump."

He played Forrest's son (also named Forrest Gump).

There's something funny about the photos...

Every time Forrest is photographed in the movie, he has his eyes closed.

One of the best lines was improvised.

Tom Hanks ad-libbed the famous line, "My name is Forrest Gump. People call me Forrest Gump."

Sally Field isn't old enough to be Hanks' mom.

Though she plays his character's mother in the movie, Sally Field is only 10 years older than Tom Hanks.

Jenny did have a last name.

Jenny's last name is Curran, but it's never said in the movie. It can be seen on her mailbox and on the letters she sends Forrest.

This is what Forrest Gump said at the peace rally.

After Forrest is pulled onstage and asked to speak at a peace rally, no one is able to hear what he says because his microphone gets unplugged. When asked about it, Tom Hanks revealed his character's speech: "Sometimes when people go to Vietnam, they go home to their mommas without any legs. Sometimes they don't go home at all. That's a bad thing. That's all I have to say about that."

Several other actors were considered for the role of Bubba.

David Alan Grier, Dave Chappelle, and Ice Cube all turned down the role of Bubba, which was eventually played by Mykelti Williamson. Chappelle has been the only one to publicly express regret for not playing the iconic role.

"Seat's taken."

Tom Hanks’ daughter, Emily, can be seen in the school bus scene. She’s the red-haired girl who shook her head "no" and wouldn't let young Forrest sit down.

"You ain't nothing but a hound dog."

Kurt Russell played the voice of Elvis Presley. Russell was an easy pick for the role since he played Elvis in the 1979 TV movie "Elvis."

Michael Conner Humphreys inspired the accent that Hanks used in the movie.

Tom Hanks modeled his accent after Michael Conner Humphreys, the boy who played young Forrest Gump in the beginning of the movie.

Blue plaid shirts mark a new year in the film's plot.

Forrest Gump is seen wearing a blue plaid shirt in the first scene of each of his age changes.

"That's all I have to say about that."

The crowd of hippies seen behind Forrest when he's speaking at the National Mall in Washington D.C. were actors from the Maryland Renaissance Festival at the time. Casting director Ellen Lewis realized that the festival would be a good source of extras with long hair.

"But you ain't got no legs, Lieutenant Dan!"

A special blue fabric covered Gary Sinise's lower legs during filming. This helped the digital team transform him into the beloved legless character.

There is no chance of any sequel with Hanks.

After the film's success, Hanks said he is adamant about wanting nothing to do with any sequel in the future.

Jenny was almost played by three other actresses. They all turned it down.

Jenny Curran was ultimately played by Robin Wright, but she only got the part because Jodie Foster, Nicole Kidman, and Demi Moore turned it down.

No ball was used when shooting the film.

There was no ball when the ping-pong matches were shot. The CGI team animated the ball to meet each actor's paddle.

Hanks powered through illness for the sake of the movie.

When shooting the football scenes, Tom Hanks was sick with influenza but he kept his head up and didn't stop running.

Jenny is still afloat.

The shrimp boat used in the film now floats in a moat surrounding Planet Hollywood Restaurant at the Disney World Resort in Florida.