Cast
Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump: At an early age, Forrest is deemed to have a below-average IQ of 75. He has an endearing character and shows devotion to his loved ones and duties, character traits that bring him into many life-changing situations. Along the way, he encounters many historical figures and events throughout his life. Hanks also briefly plays Nathan Bedford Forrest in The Birth of a Nation scene.
Michael Conner Humphreys as young Forrest Gump: Hanks revealed in interviews that instead of having Humphreys copy his accent, he incorporated Humphreys' unique Southern accented drawl into the older character's accent.
Robin Wright as Jenny Curran: Forrest's childhood friend with whom he immediately falls in love, and never stops loving throughout his life. A victim of child sexual abuse at the hands of her bitter, widowed father, Jenny embarks on a different path from Forrest, leading a self-destructive life and becoming part of the hippie movement in California in the 1960s and the following Me Decade's sex and drug culture of the 1970s. She re-enters Forrest's life at various times in adulthood. Jenny eventually becomes a waitress in Savannah, Georgia, where she lives in an apartment with her (and Forrest's) son, Forrest Jr. She and Forrest marry, but soon afterward she dies from complications due to an unnamed disease. This was intended by Winston Groom, the author of the original novel, to be hepatitis C, itself an "unknown virus" until defined in April 1989, although some of the makers of the film have said that they intended it to be HIV/AIDS.
Hanna R. Hall as young Jenny Curran.
Gary Sinise as Lieutenant Dan Taylor: Forrest and Bubba Blue's platoon leader during the Vietnam War, whose ancestors have died in every U.S. war and who regards it as his destiny to do the same. After losing his legs in an ambush and being rescued against his will by Forrest, he is initially bitter and antagonistic toward Forrest for leaving him a "cripple" and denying him his family's destiny, falling into a deep depression. He later serves as Forrest's first mate at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, gives most of the orders, becomes wealthy with Forrest, and regains his will to live. He ultimately forgives and thanks Forrest for saving his life. By the end of the film, he is engaged to be married to his fiancée Susan and is sporting "magic legs" – titanium alloy prosthetics that allow him to walk again.
Mykelti Williamson as Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue: Bubba was originally supposed to be the senior partner in the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, but due to his death in Vietnam, their platoon leader, Dan Taylor, took his place. The company posthumously carried his name. Forrest later gave Bubba's mother (Marlena Smalls) Bubba's share of the business. Throughout filming, Williamson wore a lip attachment to create Bubba's protruding lip.
Sally Field as Mrs. Gump: Forrest's mother. Field reflected on the character, "She's a woman who loves her son unconditionally.... A lot of her dialogue sounds like slogans, and that's just what she intends."
Haley Joel Osment as Forrest Gump Jr.: Osment was cast in the film after the casting director noticed him in a 1993 Pizza Hut commercial. It was his debut feature film role.
Peter Dobson as Elvis Presley: Although Kurt Russell was uncredited, he provided the voice for Elvis in the scene.
Dick Cavett as himself: Cavett played a de-aged version of himself in the 1970s, with makeup applied to make him appear younger. Consequently, Cavett is the only well-known figure in the film to play a cameo role rather than be represented through the use of archival footage like John Lennon, Alabama Governor George Wallace, and Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon.
Sam Anderson as Principal Hancock: Forrest's elementary school principal.
Geoffrey Blake as Wesley: A member of the SDS group and Jenny's abusive boyfriend.
Siobhan Fallon Hogan as Dorothy Harris: The school bus driver who drives Forrest, and later his son, to school.
Sonny Shroyer as Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant.
Grand L. Bush, Michael Jace, Conor Kennelly, and Teddy Lane Jr. as the Black Panthers.
Richard D'Alessandro as Abbie Hoffman.
Tiffany Salerno and Marla Sucharetza as "Cunning" Carla and "Long-Limbs" Lenore: a couple of prostitutes whom Forrest and Dan spend a New Year's evening with and later turn away.
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