Forrest Gump’s army best friend is the lovable and now-iconic Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue, but which other actors almost played the role before it was snagged by Mykelti Williamson? Bubba, a Southern Black man with Autism-spectrum disorder, appears in the most substantially fleshed out historical event in Forrest Gump: the Vietnam War. After enlisting in the 47th Infantry Regiment in 1967, Forrest is onboard the bus to basic training when he meets Bubba, who offers him a seat. Throughout their time in the army, the two become best friends, and Bubba even enlists Forrest as his First Mate for the shrimping business he plans to start after the war.
Tragically, Bubba gets killed by the Viet Cong – but not before he inspires Forrest to found the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company with their platoon leader Lt. Dan Taylor and later give Bubba’s share of the profits to his mother. Things might have played out differently for Bubba had Williamson not taken the role. In the original Forrest Gump novel and the first draft of the screenplay, Bubba was much smarter, snarkier, and was more of a big brother than a best friend to Forrest. However, Williamson had other ideas. He suggested making Bubba only slightly smarter than Forrest and also have a heart of gold, making the characters more equal. These changes to the original material helped establish a tighter and more heartwarming connection between Bubba and Forrest Gump.
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While there’s no question that Williamson made the character of Bubba his own, he wasn’t the first actor who was considered for the role. Before finally settling on Williamson, Forrest Gump director Robert Zemeckis had several actors in mind for playing Bubba. One of them was comedy legend Dave Chappelle, who turned down the role because he felt Bubba’s name and character had racially demeaning connotations.
According to Hollywood, comedian and actor David Alan Grier also turned down the opportunity as he wasn’t interested in playing a character with Autism-spectrum disorder. “Listen, if I’m going to be playing a mentally challenged person, I got to be the lead, I can’t be the mentally challenged sidekick.” A similar reason was given by rapper and actor Ice Cube, for whom playing Bubba would’ve also been a stretch from his previous tough-guy roles. Notably, after Forrest Gump won several Oscars and saw massive box office success, both Grier and Chappelle regretted not playing Bubba. And while Williamson had some difficulty taking on more roles after Forrest Gump, he eventually rebounded and bagged roles in series like Justified and Lethal Weapon and movies like The Purge: Election Year.
Interestingly, Williamson isn’t the only actor who wasn’t the first choice for their role in this award-winning film. In fact, Forrest Gump’s original casting plan placed veteran actor John Travolta in the titular lead role instead of Tom Hanks. However, Hanks, who previously won an Oscar for his role in the legal drama Philadelphia, proved to be a much better fit for the now-iconic character.
In the end, it seems that director Robert Zemeckis and his crew made the right casting choices for Forrest Gump. Although he wasn’t the first choice to play Bubba, Williamson greatly contributed to the character’s development as Forrest’s best friend. Meanwhile, Hanks actually funded the film’s production and even opted to get paid through the film’s box office gross in place of a salary. The dedication that these actors have shown for their respective roles definitely helped Forrest Gump become one of the most iconic dramatic films in history. In fact, after nearly 30 years since its release, Forrest Gump fan theories continue to circulate online. And though a sequel never came to fruition, a Hindu language remake of Forrest Gump titled Laal Singh Chaddha is releasing by the end of 2021.
More:Forrest Gump: What The Feather At The Beginning & End Means
FAQs
7 Dave Chappelle
Who was offered the role of Bubba in Forrest Gump? ›
David Alan Grier, Ice Cube and Dave Chappelle were offered the role of Benjamin Buford Blue, but all three turned it down. Chappelle, who said he believed the film would be unsuccessful, has been reported as saying that he regrets not taking the role.
Who auditioned for Bubba in Forrest Gump? ›
Tupac auditioned for the role of Bubba in 'Forrest Gump. ' The role eventually went to Mykelti Williamson after other prominent public figures were offered the role but turned it down, including David Alan Grier, Ice Cube, and Dave Chappelle.
Who almost played Bubba in Forrest Gump? ›
Dave Chappelle turned down the role of Forrest's friend Bubba Blue. The comedian-actor didn't think the movie would do well and passed on the role but has since expressed regret about his decision (and four years later got to costar with Hanks, this time in You've Got Mail).
Who turned down roles in Forrest Gump? ›
John Travolta was reportedly in consideration to play Forrest Gump in the film of the same name, but turned down the part.
Who was the first choice for the role of Forrest Gump? ›
Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump (1994)
The classic role of Forrest Gump was initially offered to John Travolta. He declined the part and has since openly admitted that passing on the role was one of the biggest mistakes of his career.
Who was originally wanted for Forrest Gump? ›
John Travolta was originally slated to appear in "Forrest Gump" before Tom Hanks was cast in the starring role. Steven Spielberg wanted Harrison Ford to star in "Jurassic Park" before the actor turned down the opportunity.
Who was supposed to play Bubba? ›
Racial Concerns Made Dave Chappelle Turn Down The Role Of Bubba In Forrest Gump.
Is Forrest Gump autistic? ›
It would have been extraordinary if Groom had created the character with autism in mind and all evidence points to the idea that he simply intended Forrest to be a low-IQ individual stumbling through some of recent history's most historic events.
Who turned down the role of Indiana Jones? ›
It turns out that before it became one of Harrison Ford's landmark roles, there was another leading man the Indiana Jones team were keen to hunt down. That man was Tom Selleck, who has just revealed that he was originally offered the role as the intrepid archaeologist, but decided not to don the famous hat and whip.
Back in 2007, John Travolta revealed that he turned down the chance to play the lead role in Forrest Gump because he said yes to Pulp Fiction instead. He said he doesn't regret turning down the role because he was happy to appear in Pulp Fiction.
Who auditioned for Jenny in Forrest Gump? ›
The role of Jenny in Forrest Gump is one of the most important roles to fill in this film. Robin Wright's performance as Jenny was a standout in the film and the complexity of her character was shown timelessly. One of the names that reportedly was thrown out there to play Jenny was the one and only Nicole Kidman.
Who is Jenny supposed to be in Forrest Gump? ›
Jenny Curran is first introduced in “Forrest Gump” as Forrest's childhood friend. On Forrest's first day of school, Jenny offers up the bus seat next to her. Robin Wright plays the adult Jenny and Hanna Hall plays young Jenny.
Who was supposed to be Bubba Gump? ›
Before finally settling on Williamson, Forrest Gump director Robert Zemeckis had several actors in mind for playing Bubba. One of them was comedy legend Dave Chappelle, who turned down the role because he felt Bubba's name and character had racially demeaning connotations.
Who was the first choice for Bubba in Forrest Gump? ›
David Alan Grier, Ice Cube and Dave Chappelle all turned down the role of Bubba. Ice Cube refused to play what he thought was an "idiot," while Chappelle simply thought the movie would fail. He's gone on to admit his deep regret in passing.
Was Dave Chappelle offered the role of Bubba in Forrest Gump? ›
Dave Chappelle almost played Bubba in Forrest Gump, but turned it down due to concerns about the treatment of a Black man in the story.
