Gary Sinise was born in Blue Island, Illinois. His family later moved to
Highland Park, where he attended high school. 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".
The company made its off-Broadway debut with that production, starring Gary
and 'John Malkovich' and its Broadway debut with "The Grapes of Wrath" at the
Cort Theatre in 1990.. 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) in 1992. That year also found Gary
combining his acting and directing talents with the critically acclaimed Of
Mice and Men (1992). His first real notice by the public came in 1994, however
. He starred in the blockbuster miniseries "The Stand" (1994) (mini), rapidly
followed by his bravura performance as Lt. Dan
in Forrest Gump (1994). His portrayal of the disabled, emotionally tortured
veteran earned Gary numerous awards and an Oscar nomination. Busy 1994 was
followed by busy 1995, first reuniting with Tom Hanks in Apollo 13 (1995) and
then starring in the HBO film Truman (1995) (TV) which earned him the Golden
Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards and an Emmy nomination. Gary is married
to Moira Harris, an actress and original member of the Steppenwolf company.
They have three children, Sophie, McCanna, and
Ella. Gary's father is the film editor Robert L. Sinise, A.C.E.