Gary Sinise
Known for his unique, intense eyes and his knack for playing the bad guy role, the real Gary Sinise might just surprise even his biggest fans.
Gary Alan Sinise was born March 17, 1955, in Blue Island, Illinois. The family relocated to Highland Park, and it was here he completed his high school education. But high school seemed to have little draw for Sinise, who was much more interested in his band than schoolwork.
However, he did find something that caught his attention in high school. And not surprisingly, that was drama. He and his friends auditioned for their school production of West Side Story largely as a prank. But by the time the curtain hit the stage, Sinise was absolutely enamored.
That love for theater didn’t seem to fade with time. By 1973, Sinise and fellow aspiring actors Terry Kinney and Jeff Perry co-founded the Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Since its humble beginnings in the basement of a local church, the Company has grown to great renown, attracting such actors as Joan Allen, John Malkovich, and Laurie Metcalf.
While Sinise loved the stage, he proved that his passion lay equally backstage. In 1982, Sinise pursued both these simultaneous loves when he directed and starred in True West. By 1983, he won the Obie Award in recognition of his directorial work.
His next major break came in 1988. Again it was a directing job, but this time it was for Miles from Home, a Richard Gere, Helen Hunt, Laurie Metcalf, and Brian Dennehy film. His last directing job was in 1992 for Of Mice and Men which co-starred John Malkovich. Sinise earned a Golden Palm nomination at the Cannes Film Festival.
After this film’s acclaim, Sinise decided to focus his career on acting. In 1994, Sinise teamed up with Rob Lowe and Molly Ringwald for the Stephen King adaptation of The Stand.But most everyone remembers 1994 as the year Sinise took on the character Lieutenant Dan Taylor in Forrest Gump. Even beside Tom Hanks and Sally Field, Sinise captivated the audience with his scenes. His turn as the emotionally and physically crippled veteran earned him an Oscar nomination.
The following year, Sinise teamed up yet again with Hanks for Apollo 13. The Ron Howard directed film also starred Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, and Ed Harris. The same year, he starred in Truman, playing Harry S. Truman, and took home the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries.
By 1996, he was earning big budget roles in thrillers like Ransom beside Mel Gibson and Rene Russo and winning an Emmy for his work in George Wallace with Angelina Jolie.
He also had memorable roles in The Green Mile with Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Bonnie Hunt as well as The Human Stain with Nicole Kidman, Anthony Hopkins, and Ed Harris. He even tried his hand at comedy with The Big Bounce opposite Owen Wilson, Charlie Sheen, and Morgan Freeman.
Currently, he can be seen playing Detective Mac Taylor in the latest addition to the CSI family, CSI: New York.
Sinise married fellow actress Moira Harris in 1981, and they are still together with three children. In 2003, he put together the Lieutenant Dan Band, which performs for organizations like United Service Organization (USO) and Operation Iraqi Children.
YUDDY
