Forrest Gump (character) childhood friend Jennifer Curran, who eventually becomes his wife. Tom Hanks portrayed the character in the film and earned an Academy Award for his performance, while Michael Conner Humphreys portrayed Forrest as a child. In 2008, Forrest Gump was named the 20th greatest movie character of all time by "Empire" magazine. Forrest was born near the small town of Greenbow, Alabama, on June 6, 1944. His father was absent during his life, and his mother said he was "on vacation". His mother named Forrest after their ancestor Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Scotch-Irish American and a noted Confederate general in the
Forrest Gump Carolina. Extensive visual effects were used to incorporate Hanks into archived footage and develop other scenes. The soundtrack features songs reflecting the different periods seen in the film. Released in the United States on July 6, 1994, "Forrest Gump" received favorable reviews for Zemeckis' directing, Hanks' performance, visual effects, and script. The film was a massive success at the box office; it became the top-grossing film in North America released that year and earned over worldwide during its theatrical run, making it the second highest-grossing film of 1994. The soundtrack sold over 12 million copies. "Forrest Gump" won the Academy