"Before discovering theater, I was sloughing off and didn't have any passion for school. Then I couldn't get enough. All of a sudden, I was getting good parts in all of these plays. I just loved it. I started getting A's in acting, directing and technical theater. I found something that clicked."
Gary Alan Sinise (born March 17, 1955) is an American actor, director, producer, musician, author and philanthropist. He co-founded Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago along with Jeff Perry and Terry Kinney.
He is known for his supporting roles in works that span the entire spectrum of drama, thriller, and science fiction, for which he has earned a small mountain of awards. His most iconic roles are as Lt. Dan Taylor in Forrest Gump, astronaut Ken Mattingly in Apollo 13 and Detective Mac Taylor in CSI: NY.
Film roles with TV Tropes pages:
- A Midnight Clear (1992) - Vance "Mother" Wilkins
- Of Mice and Men (1992) - George Milton
- Forrest Gump (1994) - Lt. Dan Taylor
- Apollo 13 (1995) - T. K. "Ken" Mattingly
- The Quick and the Dead (1995) - the Marshall
- Ransom (1996) - Det. Jimmy Shaker
- Snake Eyes (1998) - Navy Cmdr. Kevin Dunne
- That Championship Season (1999, TV movie) - Tom Daley
- The Green Mile (1999) - Burt Hammersmith
- Mission to Mars (2000) - Jim McConnell
- Reindeer Games (2000) - Gabriel
- Impostor (2001) - Spenser Olham
- Path to War (2002 tv movie) George Wallace
- Open Season (2006) - Shaw (voice)
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) - Smithsonian Narrator (voice)
Television roles with TV Tropes pages:
- Knots Landing (1 episode, 1980) - Lee Maddox
- Crime Story (3 episodes, 1986-1987) - Howie Dressler
- Hunter (1 episode, 1990) - Lord Tony Rutherford)
- The Stand (1994) (4-part mini-series) Stu Redman
- Frasier (1 episode, 1995) - Sid (voice on telephone)
- Truman (1995 2-part mini-series) - Pres. Harry Truman
- CSI: Miami (2 episodes, 2002-2005) - Det. Mac Taylor
- CSI: NY (197 episodes, 2004-2013) - Det. Mac Taylor
- CSI (1 episode, 2013) - Det. Mac Taylor
- Criminal Minds (1 episode, 2015) - FBI Agent Jack Garrett
- Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders (26 episodes, 2016-2017) - FBI Agent Jack Garrett
- 13 Reasons Why (2020) - Dr. Robert Ellman
His work provides examples of:
- Artist and the Band: After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, he began volunteering for USO tours to visit troops in the Middle East, but soon wanted to do more than shake hands and take pictures. He asked his guitarist buddy, Kemo Williams, to help him round up some singers and musicians, and together they formed "Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band." Sinise said that since the troops were calling him by his Forrest Gump character's name anyway, it only made sense to name the band after the character, too.
- I Am Not Spock: Averted (or perhaps Inverted). At the start of his USO work, not many troops knew his name, but it seemed that everybody recognized "Lieutenant Dan" so he happily went along with it. It helped that playing a disabled combat veteran gave him a lot of empathy for real-life disabled veterans.
- Lead Bassist: Co-founder of "Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band," Sinise plays bass, introduces the band members, and gives a "thank-you" speech to military veterans at all of their concerts. He will often do a bass solo as well.
