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 has also been recognized by the American Film Institute on several of its lists. The film ranks 37th on "100 Years...100 Cheers", 71st on "100 Years...100 Movies", and 76th on "100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition)". In addition, the quote "Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get," was ranked 40th on "100 Years...100 Movie Quotes". The film also ranked at number 61 on "Empire"s list of the 100 Greatest Movies of All Time. In December 2011, "Forrest Gump" was selected for preservation in the Library of Congress' National Film Registry.