Tom Hanks' Brother Did an Important Job in Forrest Gump, but No One Noticed

A film which has captured the hearts of audiences since it was released in 1994.

Yet for its gifted cast, top director, and definitive novel on which the film is based, the movie would have never been quite the same if Hanks' real-life brother had not stepped in to help.

In the movie, Tom Hanks plays the title character, Forrest Gump, a simple man with a big heart who embarks on a journey of self-discovery and inspiration.

One of the most memorable scenes in the movie is when Forrest decides to run across the United States, and his journey becomes a symbol of hope and perseverance.

As unforgettable a moment as this is within the film, due to budget cuts during production, it was almost a sequence that was to be left out of the movie entirely.

Before filming began, Paramount studios decided to cut about $10 million from the original film's budget. For director Robert Zemeckis, this meant cutting scenes that were deemed unnecessary.

This included Gump's running scene across the country and a few other scenes from the movie. Paramount even sent an executive from the studio to oversee the shoot and ensure the film stayed on budget.

Zemeckis fought hard to keep the scenes in his movie, even sacrificing some of his and Hank's large salaries to make up the budget. Yet Paramount still wanted the running scene cut.

Fortunately, Zemeckis managed to get around the issue. Ignoring the studio's wishes, he filmed the running scenes in secret. Instead of using Tom Hanks himself, he used his younger brother Jim Hanks for the scenes, as they looked so much alike.

They tried to use other of Hanks' doubles, yet according to Jim, "...they couldn't do the [Forrest Gump] run". In particular, the goofy stride that Tom Hanks had developed for the part.

As stated by his brother Jim however, it's very much a "stupid Hanks thing" that only the pair of them could do. Eventually, Paramount found out about Jim's secret scenes. But after seeing the raw footage, they relented to keeping it in the movie.

While Tom Hanks may have received acclaim for his performance as Forrest Gump, it was also due, in part, to Jim Hanks for helping to add such a crucial part to the movie.

Thanks to Zemeckis' dedication to his craft and his persistence to make the movie he wanted, he helped create a film that will continue to inspire and entertain audiences for generations.