What did Mykelti Williamson play in Forrest Gump? Actor says he's never been to Bubba Gump Shrimp restaurant inspired by his character

On the June 2 episode of Still Here Hollywood Podcast with Steve Kmetko, host Steve Kmetko was joined by actor Mykelti Williamson. During the conversation, he revealed that he’s never been to the renowned restaurant chain "Bubba Gump Shrimp." The name was inspired by the 1994 movie Forrest Gump.

In the film, the protagonist, Forrest, opens a restaurant, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., in memory of his friend Bubba, played by Mykelti Williamson. The character dies in the Vietnam War.

During the podcast, Kmetko asked Williamson if he still gets a "free pass" at the restaurant chain. In response, William said:

"I've never been to one in my life."

Mykelti Williamson further explained that he never visited the restaurant because he never felt "properly invited." He added that he wanted to be invited to contribute in a meaningful way and not just for publicity.

"The only reason I've never been was because I don't feel I was properly invited. Sometimes, when you invite someone somewhere, it should be highly considerate of what the possibilities could be with a union," Williamson said.

He continued:

"I've never been to a restaurant because I've never been properly invited where I could participate in something that I helped create, because what I brought to the screen was not on the page, it wasn't even close."

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Mykelti Williamson reflects on auditioning for Forrest Gump

Further into the podcast, Mykelti Williamson recalled training two of his students for the role of Bubba in Forrest Gump, although neither of them landed the part. Williamson thought he could play the role himself and contacted his agents to set him up with an audition for the movie.

He remembered being paired with Tom Hanks during the audition, who portrayed the character of Forrest Gump, and claimed that he had met Hanks before.

"The next thing I hear is Mr. Robert Zemeckis would like to match you up with Tom Hanks. So we go in. They match me up with Hanks, and Tommy's sitting across the table from me, and he's kicking me under the table like how much he liked it," he said.

Williamson added:

"He was just 'Dude, you're killing it.' Finally, after we were done, he looked at me. He says, ‘Oh my gosh.' That was it. I got the job, and thank God I was persistent."

Mykelti also acknowledged the mutual respect he shared with Hanks, adding:

"We had found each other."

He stated that both of them saw the value in each other, and because of this, they learnt "a tremendous amount" from one another.

He also shared how he got into directing through a news director called Mike Jones. This happened when Mykelti was still in high school and her mother, a certified accountant, introduced Mike to her son.

"I went to a screening and she [Mykelti's mother] said, 'You have to meet my son.' So I met him and we talked and he said, 'I hear you want to be a director.' I said, 'Yes, sir.' He said, 'But you're an actor.' I said, 'Yes, sir.' He said, 'How serious are you?,' he shared.

He continued:

"I said, 'It's everything for me, I'll figure it out, though you know, but I just don't like wasting my time with stupid stuff, right?' And so he said, 'Okay.' [and] he started mentoring me."

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Born on March 4, 1957, Mykelti Williamson is an American actor and director, known for his notable roles in movies like Forrest Gump, Fences, and Con Air. He was also known for Television roles in Boomtown and Justified.

He was first married to actress Olivia Brown from 1983 to 1985. After their separation, Mykelti Williamson married Cheryl Chisholm in 1989, with whom he shares a son. In 1997, he married Sondra Spriggs, and the couple shares two daughters.