Thought Elvis Presley’s voice sounded like Presely himself? Turns out it the killer impression was recorded by Kurt Russell in the film. According to some people, he didn’t receive credit for his work. Still, he was clearly noticed. There was a reason why Russel was picked for this part.
The actor starred in the 1979 TV film, Elvis, playing the part of the king of rock and roll and later earning an Emmy nomination for his performance. So, although Russell didn’t receive credit for the film, we can safely assume it was him considering that long resume of Elvis experience.
Actual Footage
When Forrest receives a Medal of Honor, it looks pretty real. How did they do it? Creators actually used real footage of none other than Sammy Davis. The footage shows him receiving a Medal of Honor from President Lyndon B Johnson. Hanks’ head was digitally placed onto Davis’ body to make it look realistic. The real Sammy Davis joined the Army out of high school in 1965.
He was assigned to the 4th Artillery, following his father who had been an artilleryman in WWII, and after completing training he requested to go to Vietnam. On November 19th, 1968, exactly a year and a day after the nightlong firefight at Cai Lay, President Lyndon B Johnson awarded Davis with the Medal of Honor.
Ice Cube As Bubb?
Rumors have it that Ice Cube and Dave Chappelle turned down the opportunity to act as Bubba, Gump’s friend in the film. Apparently, the rapper and arguably the most celebrated lyricist, Ice Cube, passed on the role because he didn’t want to portray a dumb character. The legendary comic, Dave Chappelle, also said no to the role but later did costar with Hanks in You’ve Got Mail.
Mykelti Williamson accepted the role, and the rejectors subsequently regretted turning it down, thinking that the film wasn’t going to be that successful. While they may have expressed some soreness over the missed opportunity, both Ice Cube and Chappelle have both led incredibly successful careers. You can't do it all!
Quote The Truth Where You Find It
The famous line: ” I just put one foot in front of the other. When I get tired I sleep. When I get hungry I eat. When I have to go to the bathroom I go” was a real line quoted by a 16-year-old boy who ran from New Jersey to San Francisco to support the American Cancer Society. The 16-year-old, named Louis Michael Figueroa ran across America on foot while in his sophomore year of high school in New Jersey.
He had promised a 10-year old boy with cancer that he would run across America for him, in order to give him hope. The run took him 60 days and crowned him the fastest and youngest person to run across America. Fourteen years later, Louis once again took off running, this time inspired by his brother who was diagnosed with AIDS. During this run, he himself was battling Leukemia.
A Long Day
During the scene in which Robin (as Jenny) performed in a nightclub, she was feeling very ill. She powered through the scene which took about 24 hours of filming. On the plus side? She was able to perform her own song. On the downside, she was naked and holding a guitar for hours on end.
The result? A heart-beaking moment showing how Jenny's career didn't quite turn out the way she wanted it to. Heckled by brutes in the audience, Gump steps up shows them who's boss. Jenny is sadly humiliated by the whole thing.