Where is the Cast of ‘Forrest Gump’ During the Film’s 30th Anniversary?

Forrest Gump Tom Hanks, 1994
Paramount Pictures/ Everett Collection

It is hard to believe that we first learned that life is like a box of chocolates 30 years ago. That’s right, Forrest Gump premiered on July 6, 1994, based on the novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The story of the beloved and wise Forrest Gump had all of the ingredients of a hit movie: comedy, drama, heartbreak and a little romance. It did quite well in theaters and has since become a classic movie that just about everyone has seen. On the film’s 30th anniversary, let’s find out what the stars are up to.

Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump)

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Tom Hanks

Everett Collection and Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

Hanks turns 68 in just a few days on July 9, 2024. He formed the biggest career from the cast and has starred in films such as Saving Private Ryan, Cast Away, Apollo 13, Sully, Elvis, A Man Called Otto and many, many more. Disney fans know Hanks as the voice of Woody in the Toy Story franchise. He is set to reunite with his Forrest Gump co-star Robin Wright and director Robert Zemeckis in a new and exciting film called Here, using de-aging technology (read more about it here!). Hanks has been married to actress Rita Wilson since 1988 after meeting on the set of Bosom Buddies. They collectively share four children: Colin, Elizabeth, Chet and Truman.

Robin Wright (Jenny Curran)

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Robin Wright

Paramount/Everett Collection and Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Netflix

Wright played Jenny, Forrest’s childhood best friend and eventual love interest. Prior to Forrest Gump, she was known for the cult classic film The Princess Bride. She continued to work, appearing in Unbreakable, Beowulf, Moneyball, Wonder Woman and House of Cards, to name a few. House of Cards earned her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. She has also directed several television shows including House of Cards and Ozark. When she isn’t acting or directing, she is an activist for human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Wright was married to actor Sean Penn from 1996 to 2010 and they share two children. She later married Yves Saint Laurent executive Clement Giraudet but they split in 2022.

Sally Field (Mrs. Gump/Mama)

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Sally Field

Everett Collection and Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Vanity Fair

Field was already a star at this point but her career shined in the ’90s in films such as Forrest Gump and Mrs. Doubtfire. She went on to appear in ER, Brothers & Sisters, Lincoln, The Amazing Spider-Man films and more recently 80 for Brady. She is a spokesperson for bone health after being diagnosed with osteoporosis in 2005 and an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community as her son, Sam Greisman is openly gay. She has two other sons from her first marriage to Steven Craig. In 2022, Field was honored as the 58th recipient of the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award.

Gary Sinise (Lieutenant Dan Taylor)

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Gary Sinise

Everett Collection and Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Capital Concerts

Sinise was very inspired by his role as Lieutenant Dan Taylor, Forrest’s superior during the Vietnam War who loses his legs in combat. He created the Gary Sinise Foundation to help veterans and tours on military bases with his band Lt. Dan Band. He reunited with Hanks several times in the ’90s in Apollo 13 and The Green Mile. His most recent role was in 2020’s Joe Bell. The ’90s were very important to Sinise as he also married his wife, Moira Harris in 1993 and they have three children together. He gave up acting in 2020 when both his wife and son were diagnosed with cancer. His wife is fully in remission but sadly he lost his son Mac to cancer in January 2024.

Mykelti Williamson (Private Benjamin Buford “Bubba” Blue)

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Mykelti Williamson

Paramount/Everett Collection and Kayla Oaddams/Getty Images

Williamson played Bubba, who inspired Bubba Gump Shrimp. He also wed in the ’90s, in 1997 to be exact, to Sondra Spriggs and they have two daughters together (he has another daughter from his second marriage). After Forrest Gump, he appeared in shows and movies such as CSI: NY, The Fugitive, Chicago P.D., Law & Order: Organized Crime, Justified, Con Air, The Purge: Election Year and Fences.

Haley Joel Osment (Forrest Junior)

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Haley Joel Osment

YouTube Screenshot/Paramount Pictures and Leon Bennett/Getty Images for Netflix

Osment played Forrest and Jenny’s son after being noticed in a Pizza Hut commercial. Of course, many know Osment from his chilling role in The Sixth Sense and he became a famous child star. He continued to act in shows and movies such as Secondhand Lions, The Boys and Somebody I Used to Know. He is a voice actor on popular animated series such as American Dad and Family Guy plus he graduated from New York University in 2011. He is an avid golfer and played for the U.S. team in the All-Star Cup 2005. Lately, he has been wowing fans with his JD Vance impersonation.

Comment your favorite line from Forrest Gump! Watch it on Paramount+.

February 2021
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