Twenty-nine years ago, the lead role in Forrest Gump gave Tom Hanks an Oscar and a big boost to his acting career. And what was the fate of Michael Humphrey, who played Forrest during his high school years? Spoiler: he followed in the footsteps of his character.
Michael didn’t go on to make movies because he didn’t think Hollywood was made for kids. But the role of Forrest inspired him to run marathons and build a military career. Moreover, he had to serve in the same unit in Germany where Elvis Presley once earned his military rank.
“When I went into the army, I did my best not to be found out about me or the movie. I think it was about two weeks before anybody realized,” Michael admitted.
Today Michael Humphrey is living a quiet life and is still in the army. And when asked if he wanted to do movies again, he says he would love to be back as 007.
