Forrest Gump author Winston Groom dies at 77

Winston Groom, the author behind Forrest Gump, has died at 77.

Karin Wilson, the mayor of Groom's hometown of Fairhope, Alabama, confirmed the author died on Wednesday night, telling CNN, "We are extremely sad to hear this. He is definitely an icon here."

Groom worked as a reporter for the Washington Star after graduating from the University of Alabama and serving in the U.S. Army, per CNN, and he went on to write a total of 16 fiction and nonfiction books, The Associated Press notes. Among them was Conversations with the Enemy, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, but his most well known book was Forrest Gump, which follows the title character and his unlikely presence throughout history. After being published in 1986, it became a wildly popular movie starring Tom Hanks in 1994, which won six Oscars including Best Picture. In 1995, Groom wrote the sequel Gump and Co., which wasn't adapted into a film.

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"While he will be remembered for creating Forrest Gump, Winston Groom was a talented journalist and noted author of American history," Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) said. "Our hearts and prayers are extended to his family."