Though Michael Conner Humphreys is best known for playing young Forrest in Robert Zemeckis’s 1994 filmForrest Gump,he went on to have an interesting career after the production. While Tom Hanks is the film’s main star, portraying the adultForrest Gump as he meets real-life figuresand innocently encounters American history in real-time,Humphreys’s performance sets the tone at the beginning of the film. The Oscar-winning movie is famous for its stellar cast andiconic quotes from Forrest, both young and old.
When he was eight years old, Humphreys attended a casting call that was reportedly for"a young Tom Hanks with light eyes and a quirky disposition." Due to his southern accent and fitting appearance, Humphreys was chosen to play the younger version of Forrest.Humphreys and Hanks worked closely to make sure the child and adult characters resembled each other, withHanks drawing on Humphreys' real accent for the Forrest Gumpcharacter. Hanks and the rest of theForrest Gumpcast went on to star in many other movies. However, after the film, Humphrey’s career made a surprising divergence.
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What Michael Conner Humphreys Appeared In After Forrest Gump
Humphrey Carefully Stepped Out Of The Limelight
AfterForrest Gump,Humphreys took a break from actingand went on to receive a high school education. He intentionally tried not to become a child star at the time. In a 2019 retrospective interview withThe Sun, Humphries said, “I don’t think Hollywood is a healthy lifestyle for kids, and you do not have a childhood or mature quickly.” He successfully returned to a normal childhood after the film, honoring his acting roots with high school theater.
Like his counterpart Gump in the film, Humphreys enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2004. He completed an 18-month deployment in Iraq and worked at an Army base in Kansas until 2008. Calling on these experiences,Humphreys returned to the screen for one more film, the independent World War II dramaPathfinders: In the Company of Strangers,in 2011. In 2021, he appeared in an episode of the television seriesKnight’s End. And in 2024, Humphreys competed on Fox’s mystery singing show,I Can See Your Voice.
What Michael Conner Humphreys Is Doing Now
Humphreys Continues To Live A Low-Profile Life As A Teacher
Overall, Humphreys did not return to Hollywood acting after the success of his first film. After his time in the Army, Humphreys received a degree in international relations from the University of Northern Alabama.He works as a teacher in Oregon, leading a primarily low-profile life. With a major lifestyle change, Humphreys has ensured his performance inForrest Gumpremains a remarkable and iconic part of his professional history.
What Michael Conner Humphreys Has Said About Working On Forrest Gump
Michael Conner Humphreys has given a handful of interviews regarding his experience working onForrest Gumpin the early 1990s and the press and awards that followed its premiere. In January 2021, Humphreys sat down withSNACKto catch people up on his life and reflect on the set ofthe Tom Hanks movie. Humphreys, explaining what happened once he got cast as young Forrest, said:
“We went to film. My mom took me for months to do that, and my dad was back at home taking care of my two younger sisters. He had to leave his job to take care of my sisters during those few months while we were filming. I did the shooting in the middle of ‘93, and then I was essentially involved with it for the next two years.”
It sounds as if Humphreys had a pretty normal time on the set ofForrest Gump. However, doing press and attending awards shows is what took up most of the young actor’s time and seemingly defined his experience in Hollywood. Thankfully,Forrest Gump 2never happenedbecause, as a child actor,Humphreys did not enjoy his time in the spotlight.Humphreys toldSNACK:
“Because of the experience I had, I became very anti-celebrity. Just the idea of fame, and all my experiences with it, have been really negative. I think you can either be really famous, and you get the benefits, or you are constantly at the bottom scrounging for it, and that is kind of what I saw as a kid. I just wanted to have nothing to do with it.”
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What Happened To Forrest Gump’s Other Young Characters
Hanna R. Hall Played Young Jenny
Michael Conner Humphreys was not the only child in the cast ofthe Robert Zemeckis movie— Hanna R. Hall starred as the younger version of Robin Wright’scharacter inForrest Gumpand Haley Joel Osment starred as Forrest Gump Jr., Forrest and Jenny’s son. Unlike Humphreys,Hall and Osment continued their acting careers afterForrest Gump.As of the writing of this article, Hall and Osment are still in Hollywood, with Osment seeing a lot of success.
Haley Joel Osment
Forrest Gump Jr.
After starring as the younger version of Wright’s character in the 1994 comedy-drama,Hall notably portrayed Cecilia Lisbon in Sofia Coppola’s psychological romantic dramaThe Virgin Suicidesand played Judith Myers in the 2007 remake ofHalloween.Meanwhile, Osment is most known for starring as Cole Sear inThe Sixth Sense, which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Nevertheless, Hall and Osmey will always be remembered as young Jenny and Forrest Gump Jr., respectively, in the cast ofForrest Gumpalongside Humphreys.
Other Child Actors Who Left The Spotlight After Playing Young Versions Of Major Characters
Michael Conner Humphreys Is One Of Several
Michael Conner Humphreys isn’t alone when it comes to child actors who left the profession after getting a taste of life in the spotlight. Even the specifics of playing the young version of an adult character isn’t unique to theForrest Gumpcast member.One of the most famous examples is Jake Lloyd, known most for playing the young Anakin Skywalker (AKA Darth Vader) in 1999’sStar Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace.He famously retired from acting in 2001 after the treatment he received from the press, and bullying at school due to hisStar Warsfame was also a contributing factor.
Two other well known cases, though not of actors who played younger characters specifically, are Mara Wilson and Peter Ostrum.Both gained widespread fame as child actors after appearing in Roald Dahl adaptations. Specifically, Wilson appeared in 1996’sMatilda,and Ostrum in 1971’sWilly Wonkaand the chocolate factory. Both retired from acting shortly after their career-making appearances. Mara Wilson became a writer, while Peter Ostrum left the entertainment industry altogether and, in adulthood, is a veterinarian
There are also child actors who take long professional breaks before returning as adults. For example, actor Alex Vincent played Andy in 1988’sChild’s Play(when he was 7) and 1990’sChild’s Play 2.After an appearance in 1993 inMy Family Treasure,Vincent went over a decade without another acting role, and many presumed his on-screen career was over.However, he returned to the profession in 2008’sDead Country,and as an adult appeared in 2013’sCurse of Chuckyand 2017’sCult of Chucky.
The final example of a child actor who quit the profession is Ke Huy Quan who, like Alex Vincent, took a prolonged break and was presumed to have moved on from acting.Ke Huy Quan was mostly known for playing Short Round in 1984’sIndiana Jones and the Temple of Doomand Data in 1985’sThe Goonies.While he went on to appear in movies until 1996, when he’d just entered his 20s, he retired relatively young, and most presumed his career - which was overshadowed by his roles as a kid - was more-or-less over.
However, the triumphantly returned in the 2020s, gaining huge acclaim for his role in 2022’sEverything Everywhere All At Once.So, while Brian Michael Humphry’s retired from acting after appearing inForrest Gump,and his decision being one many child actors take, there are also several who quit but returned as adults (and more who will likely do in the future too).
Forrest Gump
Cast
Forrest Gump is a drama film released in 1994, starring Tom Hanks as the titular character. The film explores the life of a man with a low IQ who inadvertently shapes several historical events, while his personal journey remains centered on his unrequited love for childhood friend Jenny.
