Was the character in Castaway based on a real person?
No, the character in Castaway was a fictional creation, although his situation was inspired by real - life castaways.
No. While the story of Castaway was somewhat based on real events of people being stranded, the main character was a work of fiction. The filmmakers used the idea of a person being alone on an island and facing various challenges, but they made up the specific character. They designed his backstory, his relationships before the incident, and his emotional journey while on the island for the purpose of the movie's plot.
The character is not based on a single real person. However, the movie creators took the common experiences of real people who have been stranded and combined them to form the character played by Tom Hanks. So while there's no one - to - one real - life equivalent, the character represents the collective experience of real castaways in many ways.