“How a Genius Contract Clause Turned Tom Hanks into a Multi-Millionaire Overnight After Forrest Gump”

In a world where classic films often become synonymous with unforgettable quotes and heartfelt moments, Forrest Gump stands tall as a cultural icon. So, what happens when a seemingly risky creative decision transforms into a goldmine for Hollywood? According to Tom Hanks, who delivered a career-defining performance in the 1994 masterpiece, one of the movie’s most memorable scenes nearly missed the cut! Picture this: the stakes were high, and both Hanks and director Robert Zemeckis decided to gamble on their vision, ultimately leading to a windfall that echoes through the ages. Now, doesn’t that make you think—what’s a great movie without a bit of risk? Dive into this behind-the-scenes tale to discover how a bold move not only shaped a beloved film but also fattened the pockets of its creators. LEARN MORE.

Tom Hanks has revealed that a big risk when filming Forrest Gump later made him and director Robert Zemeckis millions.

The 68-year-old starred in the 1994 classic alongside Robin Wright (Jenny) and Gary Sinise (Lieutenant Dan Taylor), earning the Best Actor award at the 67th Oscars in 1995.

Loved by millions around the world, the film is packed with countless classic moments, whether it be ‘life is like a box of chocolates’ or ‘run, Forrest, run’, but Hanks has now spoken about how one of the movie’s most iconic scenes almost didn’t make the cut, forcing them both to make a huge gamble.

Forrest runs for over 1000 days straight in the Oscar-winning film (Paramount Pictures)

Speaking on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the Toy Story actor revealed that the film’s production company, Paramount Pictures, weren’t too keen on forking out for Forrest’s monumental run across the USA.

Forrest puts the Hardest Geezer to shame by running non-stop for three years, two months, 14 days and 16 hours, crossing the United States almost five times.

But it was also a serious shift from the Hanks siblings, as Tom and his brother Jim worked 27 days straight visiting spots across the country that can be seen in the iconic sequence.

This included a visit to Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina, where one stretch of road is now known as Forrest Gump Curve.

Desperate to make it work, Zemeckis and Hanks dug deep and paid for it themselves, splitting ‘a lot of money’ down the middle – but boy, did it pay off.

Explaining the decision, Hanks said: “We worked out this thing. This is movie economics 101. I said, ‘What do you want to do, Bob?’ He said, ‘I think we should pay for this sequence ourselves. Let’s knock money out of salary and we will pay for it ourselves’.

“It was a lot of money. So we split it right down the middle. We’ll take it out of our salary. And we said, ‘We will make them give it back to us on the back end‘.”

The back end deal grants actors the option to take a smaller amount of money upfront and in exchange secure a percentage of the movie’s total gross. While Hanks remains tight-lipped about the final amount, he flashed a little grin to the camera when revealing this.

In total, Forrest Gump grossed £546.8 million ($678.2 million) worldwide, which translates to around £1.13 billion ($1.4 billion) in 2024. According to Entertainment Weekly, Hanks earned an estimated $60 million (£48m) in total from the movie.

So yeah, I reckon it was just about worth the risk, don’t you?