You Won't Recognize Forrest Gump's Young Forrest at 37

From the moment he stepped onto our screens, young Forrest tugged at the heartstrings – partly due to the wonderful portrayal of this vulnerable kid with the kindest of hearts by Michael Conner Humphreys.

Humphrey's southern drawl was one of the things that captivated the casting directors and won him the part.

And it was such a huge part of his character that it's hard to imagine any other voice announcing "Well now we ain't strangers anymore" before boarding the school bus.

But the 8-year-old Michael had only gone along to the audition as his mum thought it would be fun. Little did she know that it was to be a moment that catapulted him into the limelight alongside one of the greatest actors of all time.

But he was perhaps too young to really appreciate the gravity of the movie that went on to win several awards and is still remembered today as a piece of cinema history.

Not that he was deemed too young to take part in promoting the movie. So much so that, at the age of 10 years old, when many kids are still dreaming of seeing their name up in lights and being recognised as a celeb – Michael Conner Humphreys had had enough.

After all the hype around the movie died down, Humphreys discovered the darker side of fame. He was indeed recognised everywhere he went and found that he was defined by his role in the film.

Not exactly bitten by the acting bug, he went on to join the army at the age of 19, doing an 18-month tour in Iraq (as well as some time in Germany), before heading back to civilian life after 8 years serving his country.

And it may just be that this stint in the military could be dubbed 'Saving Private Humphreys'. Certainly, he describes it as "more significant" than playing the young Forrest.

With just a handful of subsequent acting credits to his name, it would be easy to think of Humphrey as a washed-up former child star struggling through life after a brief fling with fame.

Thankfully, though, this is a positive story of a man who overcame a challenging moment and is now living life to the full. Still single and without children, Humphrey has recently rediscovered his love of acting.

He's now a regular on the stage in Portland and is open to all the opportunities life might throw his way in the future. He's also worked as a teacher and describes himself as "jack of some trades".

And these days, you probably wouldn't even vaguely recognise him as the young Forrest. Not that this stops his local theatre from using his childhood fame to promote their shows.