Wilson the Volleyball Trivia Questions

The brand name is literally printed on the ball; the character Chuck Noland names it after the logo, not a person.

The face was painted on by the props department using red paint, not blood; Hanks just improvised the idea of drawing it.

The scene was shot in one continuous take; director Robert Zemeckis only had a brief window of perfect lighting, so Tom Hanks' raw emotional performance was captured in a single attempt.

The script always called for a volleyball because its softness made it easier for Hanks to interact with and throw realistically.

Wilson was a silent prop, not voiced by any actor. Tom Hanks' character spoke to it, but the ball had no dialogue or voice actor.

At the 2001 MTV Movie Awards, the duo of Tom Hanks and Wilson from Cast Away won Best On-Screen Duo, beating human pairs like Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger.

Filming required several backup balls, as some were worn out, dirty, or lost in ocean scenes; Hanks also autographed them for charity afterward.

One of the actual Wilson balls was donated to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in 2000, where it remains on display.