Tom Hanks on why he had doubts over Oscar winner Forrest Gump: ‘Is anybody going to care?’

Film is one of most iconic releases of the Nineties – but its lead star wasn’t convinced at first

Tom Hanks has admitted he had some serious doubts about how the iconic 1994 movie Forrest Gump would be received.

The film, directed by Robert Zemeckis, starred Hanks as an eccentric man with a low IQ, who looks back the early years of his life when he found himself in the middle of key historical events. The movie follows Forrest on his quest to be reunited with his childhood sweetheart, Jenny (Robin Wright).

Since it was released, the film has grossed more than $1bn worldwide and is one of the most quotable films of the Nineties, with lines such as “My mama always said, ‘Life was like a box of chocolates…’” and “Run, Forrest! Run!”.

But, speaking on Tuesday night (9 May) at a New Yorker Live event in New York, Hanks reflected on his initial reluctant thoughts on the film.

“I say, ‘Hey Bob [Zemeckis], I’ve got a question for you. Is anybody going to care about this movie?’” the actor recalled, according to Deadline.

“‘This guy sitting on a thing in these goofy shoes and this cuckoo suit with a suitcase full of Curious George books and stuff like that. Are we doing anything here that is going to make any sense to anybody?’

“And Bob said, ‘It’s a minefield, Tom. It’s a goddamn minefield. We may be sowing the seeds of our own destruction. Any footstep we take can be a bouncing Betty that’ll blow our nuts right off.’”

Hanks won a Best Actor Oscar for his performance, while Zemeckis won an Academy Award for Best Director. The film also won Best Picture.

Hanks and his character Gump (Getty/Paramount)

The actor has worked with Zemeckis on several other movies, including Cast Away, Pinocchio, Finch, and The Polar Express.

The pair are currently working on the forthcoming film Here, about the events of a single room and its inhabitants. The project will also see Hank reunited with his Forrest Gump co-star Wright.