Anya Taylor-Joy's secret proposal on the "Forrest Gump" bench

Anya Taylor-Joy and McRae secretly wed in New Orleans in April 2022 and a 2nd wedding in Venice in October 2023.

Anya Taylor-Joy recently revealed a surprising connection to the beloved film "Forrest Gump": her husband Malcolm McRae accidentally proposed to her on the movie's iconic bench.

In a clip posted by Letterboxd on Instagram on July 6, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the film's release, Taylor-Joy shared the story during an interview promoting her recent film "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" alongside co-star Chris Hemsworth.
 

Hemsworth prompted her, asking if something "special" happened on the bench. Taylor-Joy then divulged that McRae, a native of Alabama, unexpectedly proposed to her on the "Forrest Gump" bench in Savannah. The "Dune: Part Two" star further remarked, "I'm blonde, so it just happened," adding that she becomes emotional when she hears the movie's music.

The British-American actress and musician McRae secretly wed in New Orleans in April 2022 and celebrated a second wedding in Venice, Italy, in October 2023. The couple frequently posts about each other on social media, but this delightful connection between their proposal and "Forrest Gump" had not been previously shared.

The bench in the 1994 film, directed by Robert Zemeckis, played a crucial role in the narrative, serving as the spot where Forrest recounts his life story to strangers. It's worth noting that McRae likely proposed on a similar bench at the Chippewa Square Bus Stop in Savannah, where the scenes were filmed, as the original bench now resides in the Savannah History Museum.