'Forrest Gump' voted greatest film character of all time in USA

Forrest Gump has been voted the greatest film character of all time in a new survey.

Out of more than half a million films made by Hollywood, the character portrayed by Tom Hanks ranked top in the biggest ever poll of moviegoers, beating James Bond and Scarlett O'Hara in the process, reports the Telegraph.

The 1994 film was a box office hit and critically acclaimed with Hanks' performance earning him the Oscar for Best Actor.

Audiences adored Gump as they followed his life from a child to adulthood as he took part in many of the pivotal events of the 1960s and 1970s.

The film, which took more than £500million at the box office, was based on the 1986 novel written by American author Winston Groom.

The film was also known for many of Gump's phrases, such as "My momma always said, "Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

While Gump was the runaway winner, British secret agent James Bond was named as the second greatest film character.

Scarlett O'Hara was rated as the third most memorable character.

More than 500,000 people took part in the survey carried out by ABC TV and People magazine.