Forest Gump (1994) often ends up on lists of the greatest movies ever made, thanks to its excellent story, great soundtrack and brilliant characters. It has so many small details that you can find new things on every rewatch. One of its beloved characters is the bitter and antagonistic Lt. Dan Taylor, who, like many others in the film, has an interesting backstory.
Taylor is a hard-as-nails military leader whose ancestors had been killed in every American-involved war, which has led him to believe he’s destined to die during a conflict, too. After he’s severely wounded, Forrest Gump saves him, despite having been ordered not to. Afterward, Taylor has both of his legs amputated and resents Gump for cheating him out of his destiny, with the pair later becoming life-long friends.
Taylor is portrayed by Gary Sinise, an actor whose life was changed by the character. While he was familiar with the US military, Sinise was introduced to many real veterans while preparing the character, and he has become a massive supporter of veteran support causes. The Gary Sinise Foundation, which provides programs, service, and events for wounded veterans, raised around $194 million between 2011-19.
Here are some interesting facts you might not know about Lt. Dan Taylor.
Nod to Midnight Cowboy (1969)
In one scene of Forrest Gump, Lt. Dan Taylor and Forrest Gump are almost hit by a taxi while crossing a busy street in New York City. An enraged Taylor shouts, “Hey, are you blind?! I’m walkin’ here! I’m walkin’ here!”
While this doesn’t seem out of character for the short-tempered lieutenant, it’s actually a line spoken by Dustin Hoffman in 1969’s Midnight Cowboy. Director Robert Zemeckis included Enrico “Ratso” Rizzo’s line and the track “Everybody’s Talkin’” (also from Midnight Cowboy) to cement the joke.
US Marine Corps veteran Dale Dye pushed the actors
Dale Dye entered the movie business in the 1980s after retiring from the US military. He’d been a captain in the US Marine Corps and served in Vietnam. He appeared on-camera in productions, and he used his first-hand experience while the military technical advisor on some of the biggest films.
Dye put the actors through a demanding four-day outdoor course that was designed to go wrong. When Lt. Dan Taylor is injured in Vietnam, Forrest Gump drags him to safety while Taylor fires aimlessly into the jungle. During one take, Gary Sinise‘s weapon jammed, causing Dye to fearlessly reprimand him. Sinise retaliated and the two engaged in an argument.
Despite the disagreement, Sinise has since said there were no hard feelings between them.
Lt. Dan’s rosary beads were from a real Vietnam War veteran
In Forrest Gump, Lt. Dan Taylor’s dog tags dangle from a rosary bead necklace.
Originally, the character was meant to wear standard dog tags. Gary Sinise’s brother-in-law, Jack Treese, was a combat medic in Vietnam and made his own rosary beads for his dog tags. Treese wasn’t a Catholic, but thought he should take any help he could to get through the war. His actual set of rosary beads was used in the movie.
Gary Sinise read Fortunate Son to prepare for the role of Lt. Dan
Fortunate Son: The Healing of a Vietnam Vet is the moving Pulitzer Prize-winning autobiography by Lewis B. Puller, Jr., son of World War II hero Chesty Puller, the most decorated US Marine in history.
Puller, Jr. followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the US Marine Corps, which saw him serve in Vietnam. He lost both of his legs, his left hand and parts of his right hand after he was struck by a booby trap bomb while deployed. When the elder Puller saw his son’s condition, he broke down in tears.
As a man who’d suffered from similar ailments as Lt. Dan Taylor, Gary Sinise used Puller, Jr.’s autobiography to understand the difficulties faced by real veterans in these circumstances. Sadly, he took his own life in May 1994, just two months before Forrest Gump was released.
How did they remove Gary Sinise’s legs in Forrest Gump (1994)?
Forest Gump was made before green screens and computer-generated imagery (CGI) were commonplace in the movie industry. The special effects team had the tough job of editing out Gary Sinise’s legs after Lt. Dan Taylor’s injuries in Vietnam.
To do this, they used a variety of methods, which often depended on the scene. Where possible, Sinise’s legs were simply hidden from sight. When he’s sat on a hospital bed, the lower portions of his legs were placed in holes cut into the bed.
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In other scenes, Sinise wore blue stockings on the lower portions of his legs. After shooting, the special effects crew painted in the background behind the stockings, frame by frame.