To make himself look like an average out-of-shape middle-aged man Tom Hanks didn't exercise and allowed himself to grow pudgy. Production was then halted for a year so he could lose fifty pounds and grow out his hair for his time spent on the deserted island. During this hiatus, Robert Zemeckis used the same crew to film What Lies Beneath (2000).
Job applications for FedEx went up by 30% after the release of this film.
Actual lines of dialogue were written for Wilson the volleyball, to help Tom Hanks have a more natural interaction with the inanimate object. The lines for the volleyball were cut from the final film, possibly because they wanted to make the film sound more realistic, rather than imaginative, or perhaps fantastical.
Contrary to popular belief, FedEx did not pay the filmmakers anything for their presence in the movie. Robert Zemeckis has made it clear in several interviews. While FedEx was very concerned when they heard about the project, they had no objections to the finished script and offered support during filming. The company later said the movie was very good for FedEx, particularly in overseas markets.
Tom Hanks said he first got the idea for the film after reading an article about FedEx. "I realized that Boeing 747s filled with packages fly across the Pacific three times a day. What happens if one of those goes down?," he said. He took that idea and combined it with his interest in how to survive without the five required elements for living - food, water, shelter, fire, and companionship.