Michael Conner Humphreys (born March 1, 1985) is an American actor best known for playing young

Forrest Gump ''Forrest Gump'' is a 1994 American comedy-drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Eric Roth. It is based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom and stars Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson and ...

in the 1994 film of the same name, a performance for which he was nominated for a Young Artist Award.

Biography

Humphreys was born in the small town of Independence, Mississippi. In 1993, when he was eight years old, he attended an open casting call in Memphis, Tennessee for "a young Tom Hanks with light eyes and a quirky disposition." The casting team, particularly taken by his thick Southern accent, selected Humphreys to play the role of young

in the movie adaptation of

Winston Groom Winston Francis Groom Jr. (March 23, 1943 – September 17, 2020) was an American novelist and non-fiction writer. He is best known for his novel '' Forrest Gump'' (1986), which became a cultural phenomenon after being adapted as a 1994 film of ...

's 1986 novel. As part of his preparation to play the character as an adult, Tom Hanks worked to emulate Humphreys's speech and mannerisms. Alongside his Forrest Gump costars Hanna Hall and Haley Joel Osment, he received a nomination at the

16th Youth in Film Awards The 16th Youth in Film Awards ceremony (now known as the Young Artist Awards), presented by the Youth in Film Association, honored outstanding youth performers under the age of 21 in the fields of film, television, theater and music for the 1993- ...

, though he was ultimately bested in his category by Matthew McCurley from the movie '' North''. Save for high school productions and an uncredited role in the 2003 television adaptation of the John Grisham novel '' A Painted House'', Humphreys did not pursue a further career in acting. Following high school, Humphreys enlisted in the United States Army in November 2004. He was stationed in Germany, and, assigned to the

1st Battalion 36th Infantry Regiment The 1st Battalion 36th Infantry Regiment (or 1-36 Infantry) is a United States Army infantry battalion. It is assigned to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Armored Division in Fort Bliss, Texas. History Operation Iraqi Freedom ...

, an element of the 1st Armored Division, he completed an 18-month deployment in

Anbar Province Al Anbar Governorate ( ar, محافظة الأنبار; ''muḥāfaẓat al-’Anbār''), or Anbar Province, is the largest governorate in Iraq by area. Encompassing much of the country's western territory, it shares borders with Syria, Jordan, ...

, Iraq. Following his return to the United States and some time at Fort Riley in Kansas, Humphreys completed his service on June 4, 2008. In 2008, he was studying at the University of North Alabama. In 2011, he played the role of "Eddie" in the independent World War II film ''Pathfinders: In the Company of Strangers.'' Humphreys more recently worked security for Vancouver Transportation System. As of 2020 he was working as an online teacher. He now works for Coca-Cola in northeast Mississippi.

Filmography

Film

Television

Accolades

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Humphreys, Michael Conner 1985 births 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors United States Army personnel of the Iraq War American male child actors Living people Male actors from Mississippi Military personnel from Mississippi United States Army soldiers University of North Alabama alumni