Forrest Gump’s accent? You’ll be even more of a Tom Hanks fan when you find out how he found him!

Robert Zemeckis’ Forrest Gump – AlloCiné’s highest-rated movie of all time – is undoubtedly one of the monuments that make up Tom Hanks’ career. And if his interpretation of this character, like no one else, has remained in the memory, it is especially thanks to his special voice, endowed with an accent recognizable in a thousand.

But how did the famous American comedian come up with the idea of ​​giving his character that somewhat sullen expression and that slight slurring of certain words?

As Tom Hanks explained on set a few years ago The Graham Norton ShowIf Forrest Gump has that voice, it’s down to young Michael Conner Humphries (only 8 at the time of filming).

The young actor (who did not pursue a career in cinema) who was chosen among many children to portray the character as a child spoke with a really strong accent. A feature that did not panic director Robert Zemeckis, but Tom Hanks had the opportunity to expand his role:

“Robert Zemeckis came to me and said, ‘We have a problem.’ (…) You’ve got to teach that kid to talk your way.”said Tom Hanks.

“I thought to myself, ‘Why shouldn’t I be the one talking to him?’ That’s why I started dating him. He was from deep Mississippi and always put a “G” on the end. . (…) Somewhere, I have hours of recordings of me talking to Michael.”

The otherwise memorable Forrest Gump manages to do some of its magic with its young interpreter’s accent and this excellent Tom Hanks initiative.

(re)discover the little hidden details of the movie…