Shadowing Practice: Tom Hanks Didn’t Know If Anyone Would Watch Forrest Gump | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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You had a moment on Forrest Gump.
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Of course, you're working with Robert Zemeckis.
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You're working with him on Forrest Gump.
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And you said, you're sitting there on the bench.
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And you just thought, is anyone going to watch?
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That's exactly right.
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What did you say?
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Is anyone going to watch this?
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Is anyone going to care about this guy?
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We had worked so hard, so much.
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And we were only about 40% through with the movie.
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We still had a ton of stuff that we had to do.
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We had shot 27 straight days in a row,
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which included helicopter rides to like places in America where, uh, forest runs across the country, you know, with a beard, without a beard, you know,
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we've been all over the place and I'm exhausted.
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I'm fried.
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And we've got like, we've got like 36 hours to shoot this stuff in Cherokee square in Savannah.
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And I'm, you know, I'm there dressed and we have a ton of act, uh, kind of, uh, actors that are coming.
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Cause they're going to sit next to me on, on the bus bench.
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And we were trying to shoot so much that I said, Bob, there is no way my sad little brain can learn this much dialogue
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because I've got a page and a page and a page and a page and a page.
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And that's just up to lunch.
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I, you know, if you think I'm going to be word perfect on this, you're out of your mind.
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And don't worry about it, Tom.
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We'll just put it on cards like it's I Love Lucy.
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And you know, we'll slide the cameras around so we say, you don't want to have to get a bar.
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Robert Zemeckis is a ventriloquist dummy.
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We've worked together a lot.
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So actually, no, I know what that means now.
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I know what it means.
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And so we were doing it.
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And in all honesty, you know, you do it twice and then you get it down.
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So it goes pretty fast.
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And we were midway through like a day.
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We shot all that stuff in a day, all the stuff on the thing.
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This is you on the park bench, iconic.
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Yeah, we shot it in a day.
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And at one point, you know, I'm just, you know, I'm trying to read it.
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I said, guys, can you make the print a little bit better just for these first couple of takes?
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But then I'll get it down.
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Don't worry about it.
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And the other actors are coming in.
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You want to run this?
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Go like that.
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And at one point, you know, Bob is sitting there next to me and I said, I don't know, Bob, you know,
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anybody going to care about this guy dressed up in like this kooky ice cream suit sitting on this bench?
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Saying stuff, you know, is it going to cut together?
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Is it going to matter?
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Is it going to make any sense?
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And Bob goes, well, that's the thing about making movies, Tom.
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It's a minefield.
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It's just a fucking minefield.
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We don't know if we're sowing the seeds of our own destruction or not.
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That is the truth of every single moment that you're standing in front of, look, I, you know, I made this movie and that was altered,
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you know, and I always say in years to come, we'll be talking about a movie called cloud Atlas.
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I made it with the Warshowskis and that was one of the most vibrant, loving, hardworking, magnificent thing.
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And when it came out, it was just like, Oh, Oh, Hey, nice movie.
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Meanwhile, the Incredibles are, you know, you're all, you're, we got lost in, in the horse race.
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So all you can do is show up and go there.
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Everybody says, how'd you do that scene?
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Oh, I'll show you.
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I showed up that day and we all went there.
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Is there any trick to it?
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Yeah.
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Here's the trick.
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Go there. And if you, if
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that means you got to put yourself through some sort of psychological hell in order to get there, go there.
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Now you might know this, you show up to work
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and you're going to do a convivial happy hilarious scene right everything works great
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and you know you know what happened the day before
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that uh your dog got hit by it you know every
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tragedy has happened to you eight hours prior to show up
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and just be correct is it fun to be in love
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and shoot a montage where we're licking ice and we're holding hands
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and we're skipping stones and playing a beach ball
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and then we're dancing in a gazebo
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and it's on with the worst days of your friggin life right yeah
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and then other days where you got to go
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and you have to like go to a place that's incredibly dark
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and stormy and crazy
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and all you did last night was laugh like crazy at
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the karaoke bar with the rest the guys in the crew
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and said guys it's it's two o'clock in the morning i love to sing another elvis song
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but i have to weep and cry at eight o'clock in the morning
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so i think i'm gonna i think we're gonna go return
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all you can do is go there no matter what
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because guess what you don't know where you're stepping it's it's a minefield conan it's a fucking mine

Why Practice Speaking with This Video?

Practicing speaking with the video featuring Tom Hanks on "Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend" offers a unique context for English language learners. This segment captures the behind-the-scenes thoughts of a renowned actor discussing his experiences while filming the iconic movie Forrest Gump. By engaging with this content, you can improve your english speaking practice in a natural and relatable setting.

As you listen to Tom Hanks recount his doubts and challenges during the filming, you can mimic his intonations, emotions, and rhythm, enhancing your fluency. This informal dialogue is perfect for shadow speech, where you can practice imitating the speaker's pronunciation and accent, which is essential for improving english pronunciation.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

The conversation contains several phrases and structures that are handy for learners:

  • "Is anyone going to watch?" - This rhetorical question is used to express doubt. It’s great for learners to understand how to convey uncertainty in conversation.
  • "We had worked so hard, so much." - This phrase showcases the past perfect continuous tense. Using it correctly can emphasize ongoing actions that occurred prior to another past action.
  • "Bob, there is no way my sad little brain can learn this much dialogue." - This expressive structure adds a personal touch, making conversations more engaging.
  • "Don't worry about it." - Informal phrases like this are common in casual conversation. Practicing such phrases will help improve conversational skills.

Incorporating these structures into your speech will help you sound more natural and fluent, enhancing your learning process.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While watching the video, you might encounter specific pronunciation challenges. Pay close attention to:

  • Words like “Forrest” and “Gump”: The combination of sounds can be tricky for non-native speakers, so practice enunciating them clearly.
  • Expressions such as “is anyone”: The flow and linkage of these words often lead to mispronunciation, so focus on distinct sounds.
  • Subtle pauses: Take note of how Tom pauses for effect. This timing is crucial for conveying meaning and emotion in spoken English.

To refine your skills, utilize shadowing techniques from a shadowspeaks or shadowing site where you can repeat after the speaker and simultaneously improve english pronunciation. This technique will not only enhance your pronunciation but also your overall comprehension of spoken English.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.