CSI: NY Season 4
Info
Gary: Biography
THE FACTS
Full name: Gary Alan Sinise
Birthplace: Blue Island, Illinois (USA)
Date of birth: March 17, 1955
Family: happily married to Moira Harris since 1981; children: Sophie (b. 1988), McCanna (b. 1990) and Ella (b. 1992)
THE STORY
Gary attended high school in Highland Park. He was something of a rebel, playing in bands but paying little attention to school. Gary and some friends tried out for "West Side Story" as a lark, but Gary was hooked on acting for life by closing night. Gary credits his love for theatre to his drama teacher, Barbara Patterson.
In 1974, Gary, Terry Kinney, and Jeff Perry founded the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago. Initially performing in a church basement, the company grew and gained stature in the Chicago area. In addition to acting in many plays, Gary also directed some of Steppenwolf's most notable productions, including Sam Shepard's "True West".
Gary's Hollywood career also started in the director's chair with two episodes of the stylish TV series "Crime Story" (1986) followed in 1988 by the feature Miles from Home (1988) starring Richard Gere. Gary's first feature film as an actor was the World War II fable A Midnight Clear (1992). That year also found Gary combining his acting and directing talents with the critically acclaimed Of Mice and Men (1992).
However, his first real notice by the public came in 1994 when he starred in the blockbuster miniseries "The Stand", which was rapidly followed by his performance as Lt. Dan in Forrest Gump (1994). More motion pictures and awards followed in the years after that.
In 2004, he began his first regular television series, the crime drama CSI: New York, in which he plays Detective Mac Taylor. Sinise's musical prowess is demonstrated in CSI: NY season 2 episode 14, where, in the last moments of the episode, he plays the bass guitar in a jazz club with musicians Kimo and Carol Williams. Kimo Williams is a real life friend outside of television, and they belong to a band called the Lt. Dan Band, which frequently plays for the USO and other events dedicated to the United States Armed Forces worldwide.