Forrest Gump star unrecognisable after joining the army – just like movie character
FORREST Gump star Michael Humphreys looks unrecognisable 29 years after appearing in the Tom Hanks blockbuster classic.
The actor was just eight-years-old when he played a young Forrest in the 1994 hit movie.
Nearly three decades since shattering those leg braces running away from bullies, Michael, now 38, swapped his fame movie stardom to enlist in the US Army, completing his service four years later in 2008.
He spoke to The Sun from his home in Portland, Oregon, about his decision to step away from the limelight back in 2019.
He said: “I’m not sure I would have wanted to be a child star — it doesn’t always seem to turn out that well for a lot of them.
“I reckon I am right, looking at some of them today.
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“I don’t think Hollywood is a healthy lifestyle for kids and you do not have a childhood or mature quickly. I was much better off going the route I did.”
Michael accepts lead roles are some way off following his extensive break and he is happy to learn his trade by attending acting classes — something he never did before Forrest Gump.
He was plucked from obscurity to play Forrest after attending a casting call for a “a young Tom Hanks with light eyes and a quirky disposition”.
Tom, who won a Best Actor Oscar for the role, took the bumbling, big-hearted character through adulthood, as he appeared at significant moments in US culture and delivered memorable lines including: “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know which one you’re gonna get.”
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Michael’s thick southern drawl was Tom’s inspiration for Forrest’s accent in the film, which also starred Robin Wright as love interest Jenny.
Looking back at those times, Michael insists he does not regret turning down other films on the back of Forrest Gump’s box office success.
A major factor behind his decision to stay in school was his parents who — unlike many who guide the acting careers of their kids — were not pushy despite the huge sums of money on offer.
Michael said: “Back then, my parents just let me decide for myself what I wanted to do next and they never pushed me to pursue other acting roles.
“I honestly think that was a good thing, as I never thought of Hollywood as anything glamorous or fame as something I wanted to chase. It was the opposite.
“I loved my home and was just interested in having fun and playing with my friends, especially as I liked school.
“Offers came in but I really wasn’t that concerned with trying to pick up more roles after that.
“The Brady Bunch movie is one I turned down and our family had no intention of moving to LA full-time either.
“I was a kid and did not have the mentality of a Hollywood actor, being self-centred about making it above anything.”
Single Michael lives on his own in a Spanish-style blue-fronted house in the centre of Portland.
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