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SNL's "Gump" Sketch Crowns Forrest King of His High School Reunion
Host Shane Gillis plays an overconfident former bully who somehow hasn't heard what happened to Forrest after he chased him back in the day.
The 1994 Oscar-winning film Forrest Gump told quite a story, following the titular character (played by 10-time Saturday Night Live Host Tom Hanks) across several historic eras. But despite a cultural impact that even spawned a real-life national seafood chain restaurant, a sequel never came to fruition. Forrest Gump 2 *probably* wouldn't take place at the hero's high school reunion, yet SNL's February 24 "Gump" sketch posits a world in which it did.
In the sketch that takes place in 1985, Host Shane Gillis plays Ricky Monroe, a mullet-sporting former high school hotshot who's come back to lord his success as a middling Tallahassee-area club owner over his classmates (cast members Andrew Dismukes and James Austin Johnson).
"Wait, no way—is that Forrest Gump?" Gillis's character Ricky asks, as Gump—played by Mikey Day—stands alone in his signature suit. "I wonder what that idiot's been up to since high school."
"Honestly kind of a lot," Ricky's classmate tells him. Oblivious, Ricky continues to speculate on what Gump's life has been like since he and his friends used to chase him.
"Remember he was always saying that? 'Life is a chocolate bar' or whatever,'" he laughs.
RELATED: Watch Shane Gillis's SNL Monologue and Sketches from February 24
Mikey Day plays 1980s-era Forrest in SNL's Gump sketch
While Gillis's character snaps up the reunion's awards for "Most Stylish" and "Peaked in High School," he's shocked to learn that Gump has "Most Successful" on lock.
"Congrats, Forrest, on everything you've accomplished—from your purple heart, your ping-pong career, and of course Bubba Gump Shrimp, which has made you Greenbow's first billionaire alumni," Heidi Gardner's character tells Forrest in front of the crowd.
"Did you say billionaire? Gump, you have a billion dollars?" Ricky asks Forrest in disbelief.
"Now, I don't know much about money, but that nice man at the bank said I'm probably worth more like 1.3," Day responded, in a perfect impression of Tom Hanks' Gump.
"That's cool," his humbled former bully replies, before learning the awkward truth about what's become of Momma, poor Jenny, and Gump's Army buddy Bubba.
RELATED: Watch the SNL Sketch That Has Ben Stiller Calling Mikey Day an "All-Time Great"
Ultimately, Gump's sincere charm wins out again. Watch the full "Gump" sketch above, and stream full episodes of Saturday Night Live on Peacock.
