Is Cast Away a true story?
CAST Away has been described as one of the best survival films ever made.
But was this box office hit based on a true story? Here's everything you need to know about the 2000 survival film, Cast Away.
Is Cast Away a true story?
The answer is no - Cast Away isn't actually based on a true story.
Instead the story of a FedEx executive stranded on a deserted island in the middle of the South Pacific due to a plane crash - is entirely a work of fiction.
However, there are a number of real-life accounts and survival stories told by people who have spent time on uninhabited lands, that were a source of inspiration for the film.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, actor Tom Hanks who plays primary character Chuck Noland, told the news source he was inspired by a news article he had seen about FedEx.
He said: “I realized that 747s filled with packages fly across the Pacific three times a day.
“What happens if the plane goes down?''
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Before writing the script for Cast Away, film writer William Boyles Jr consulted with professional survival experts - and even spent time isolating on an island to put himself in the shoes of the main character.
Boyles travelled to an island on the Gulf of California, where he speared and ate stingrays, drank coconut juice and built a tent out of bamboo and palm leaves.
Is Cast Away based on a book?
Yes - the film is a modern-day adaptation of Daniel Defoe's classic adventure novel Robinson Crusoe.
First published in 1719, this famous novel tells the tale of a castaway who spends 28 years on an isolated tropical island.
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In the novel the castaway is forced to encounter captives, cannibals and mutineers before being rescued.
Who is in the cast of Cast Away?
The main character in this hit film is played by actor Tom Hanks - but he's not the only famous face you may recognise.
Here's the list of actors and actresses cast in Cast Away and the role they play.
- Tom Hanks - Chuck Noland
- Helen Hunt - Kelly Frears
- Nick Searcy - Stan
- Chris Noth - Jerry Lovett
- Vince Martin - Al
- Lari White - Bettina Peterson