Robert Zemeckis 2000 masterpiece Cast Away was unlike any other survival film in history, as it explored the unique mindset of a person as they experience the trauma of loneliness. Tom Hanks had played many different American heroes by the time he appeared in the film, but his role as FedEx analyst Chuck Noland proved to be one of his most challenging, as it nearly claimed his life. Hanks may have earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his work in the film, but the real star of Cast Away ended up being the volleyball Wilson, who Chuck communicates with after he is marooned on a desert island in the Pacific Ocean. The relationship that Chuck shares with the toy ends up being the heart of the film, but Wilsons role in Cast Away was inspired by a happy accident involving screenwriter William Broyles Jr.
