Extra Who Walked Past Tom Hanks In 1994, Dead At 66

NEW ORLEANS — Wendell Quist, the background actor best known for walking briskly past Tom Hanks in “Forrest Gump,” died Wednesday at 66.

Over a prolific career spanning a single afternoon, Quist mastered the complex art of pretending to read a newspaper without looking at the camera.

“Wendell brought unparalleled depth to the role of ‘Man in Trenchcoat,’” said fellow extra Bea Ruttenberg, who spent the shoot waiting by craft services. “When they yelled ‘background action,’ he didn’t just walk. He transported audiences to a world where a guy was mildly late for a bus.”

Despite never booking another role, Quist spent the next three decades mentoring aspiring extras in the subtle mechanics of silently mouthing the word ‘peas.’

He is survived by his wife, Dana. In lieu of flowers, she has asked that mourners simply blur their faces and walk diagonally past his casket.