Gary Sinise

Gary Alan Sinise was born on March 17, 1955, in Blue Island, Illinois. He displayed an early interest in performance, playing in bands during high school in Highland Park. In 1974, at the age of 18, Sinise co-founded the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago with friends Terry Kinney and Jeff Perry. This company, initially operating out of a church basement, grew to become a respected cultural institution. Sinise honed his craft in theater, acting in and directing numerous productions, including an Obie Award-winning staging of Sam Shepard’s “True West.” His work with Steppenwolf Theatre Company earned him a Regional Theatre Tony Award in 1985. His career expanded into Hollywood with directorial work on television series like “Crime Story” (1987) and feature films such as “Miles from Home” (1988), which starred Richard Gere.

Sinise’s acting career gained significant public attention in the 1990s. In 1992, he starred in, directed, and produced the critically acclaimed film adaptation of John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men,” playing George Milton alongside John Malkovich. However, it was his memorable portrayal of Lieutenant Dan Taylor in the 1994 film “Forrest Gump” that brought him widespread recognition, earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. The following year, he reunited with Tom Hanks in “Apollo 13” (1995) and delivered an Emmy-nominated performance as Harry S. Truman in the HBO film “Truman” (1995), for which he won a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award. His filmography through the late 1990s and early 2000s included roles in “Ransom” (1996), “Snake Eyes” (1998), “The Green Mile” (1999), and “Mission to Mars” (2000).

From 2004 to 2013, Sinise starred as Detective Mac Taylor in the popular CBS series “CSI: NY,” a role for which he also served as a producer. He continued his television work as Special Agent Jack Garrett in “Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders” from 2016 to 2017. Beyond his acting career, Sinise has a long-standing commitment to humanitarian efforts, particularly supporting military personnel and their families. This commitment deepened after the events of September 11, 2001, leading him to form the “Lt. Dan Band” in 2003, which performs for troops worldwide. In 2011, he established the Gary Sinise Foundation to further his mission of serving America’s defenders, veterans, first responders, and Gold Star families. His autobiography, “Grateful American: A Journey from Self to Service,” became a New York Times bestseller in 2019, detailing his journey from actor to dedicated humanitarian.