Gary Sinise On Leaving Hollywood ‘To Be Around Family’ & Dealing With The Loss Of His Son To Cancer

Aug 22, 2025 by apost team

Gary Sinise, born March 17, 1955, in Blue Island, Illinois, is an acclaimed American actor, director, musician, and philanthropist. Over several decades, Gary has built a remarkable career across film, television, and theater, showcasing his talent and versatility. His breakthrough role came in 1994 with “Forrest Gump,” where he portrayed Lieutenant Dan Taylor. The performance earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Following “Forrest Gump,” he continued to take on prominent roles, including in “Apollo 13” and the TV miniseries “Truman,” where he won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of President Harry S. Truman. He also starred as Detective Mac Taylor on “CSI: NY” from 2004 to 2013. Beyond acting, Gary is known for his tireless support of veterans and military families. Inspired by Lt. Dan, he founded the Gary Sinise Foundation in 2011. The foundation provides critical resources such as home modifications for wounded veterans, support for families of fallen soldiers, and entertainment for troops. In recognition of his efforts, he received the Presidential Citizens Medal in 2008.

In 1981, Gary married actress Moira Harris, and together they had three children: Sophie, McCanna and Ella Sinise. In 2019, Gary stepped back from his career to care for his family after cancer diagnoses struck both his wife and son, McCanna. The actor shared that the two diagnoses in 2018 felt like a “real punch in the gut.” While Harris’s cancer went into remission, McCanna’s rare spinal cancer left him paralyzed from the chest down.

In 2020, McCanna, or Mac, was in the hospital for six of the first eight months of the year. On Jan. 5, 2024, he passed away at 33 after a five-year battle with chordoma.

Gary paid tribute to his beloved son both on Instagram and on the Gary Sinise Foundation website, where he posted a beautiful and heartbreaking recollection of his son’s experience. Gary wrote:

“Like any family experiencing such a loss, we are heartbroken and have been managing as best we can. As parents, it is so difficult losing a child. My heart goes out to all who have suffered a similar loss, and to anyone who has lost a loved one.” 

He added that he felt “so blessed, fortunate, and proud to be his dad.” Gary called McCanna an “incredible inspiration to those who knew and loved him, he faced his battle with grace, courage, and love,” noting he “gave his family and friends so much during his 33 years, and he accomplished great things in those final months.” He added, “We were blessed to have you in our lives as son, brother, and friend...and we will miss you and love you for eternity.”

In a November 2024 interview with Fox News Digital, Gary recalled the uphill battle his son faced after being diagnosed with chordoma:

“Our son was fighting this cancer with no cure. Trying to find drugs and doctors or anybody that could do anything for him was like a full-time job. Plus, he became more and more disabled by the cancer as time went on. … He needed more and more care.” 

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In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE on May 14, 2025, Gary revealed he became his son’s “air traffic controller” during that time.

“I didn’t want Mac to be thinking of the next treatment or to worry. So I thought about cancer all the time. You’re trying to take the pain away. A few times I felt like I couldn’t do enough, or I didn’t know what to do. Then you say a little prayer, get back up and go back into the fight,” the actor explained.

Gary continued:

“He kept wanting to stay. He didn’t want to go. But I know Mac was at peace at the end. He dealt with it with grace and courage.”

The actor said such a tragedy could “destroy you or it can make you come together,” adding that his family “pulled together quite a lot.” 

Gary’s daughter, Sophie, revealed her parents also grew closer during those tough times. She also said that her mom, Moira, was her “dad’s number one supporter,” and that “she was Mac’s prayer warrior.”

Despite these hardships, Gary has remained strong. In the year since losing Mac, he relocated from Hollywood to Nashville, Tennessee, where he found comfort in his close-knit family and a new purpose in keeping Mac’s memory alive.  

“Mac left us things that are beautiful,” he continued: “I want people to know who he was,” Gary said.

Before Gary’s son passed away, he remained devoted to his passions. A USC Thornton School of Music graduate, McCanna once played various instruments and composed music. Gary recalled that McCanna often filled in as drummer for the Lt. Dan Band. With support from family and friends, McCanna recorded a full album titled “Resurrection & Revival,” even playing the harmonica.

After Mac’s death, Gary discovered new music his son had composed on his laptop. Honoring his son’s legacy, Gary enlisted friends to help record a second album and released both “Resurrection & Revival: Parts 1 and 2.” Proceeds went to the Gary Sinise Foundation, fulfilling Mac’s wish. Gary, who co-hosted the National Memorial Day Concert in Washington, D.C. on May 25, 2025, said he had always dreamed of having the albums performed live by an orchestra. He’s also planning to animate another of Mac’s musical works. “I want people to hear his music. I want people to share it.” 

Gary admitted that he was “on a mission.” He also recognized that this was his way of coping with grief.

“I thought the other day, ‘What happens when all these projects are done?’ Well, I’m going to drag them on as long as I can,” he said.

As for acting, Gary said he wasn’t sure when – or even if – he would make a return.

“Something may come along and it’ll be right, but it’s harder to leave home now,” he said, adding, “I just want to be around family. Since losing Mac, I hold my daughters a lot tighter. You think about the things that are really important.”

Through music, charity, and memory, Gary has found a powerful way to honor his son’s life while navigating profound personal loss. Each project tied to Mac’s legacy becomes a thread that holds his family together and keeps Mac’s spirit alive for the world to hear. 

Though Gary remains uncertain about his acting future, his dedication to family and sharing Mac’s music reveals a new chapter in his life – one grounded in love, purpose, and healing. As he continues to share his son’s art and story, Gary continues to invite others to witness not just a tribute, but a father’s enduring devotion.

McCanna’s memory certainly lives on through his father. What do you think of Gary Sinise’s choice to share his son’s music? Let us know, and then pass this on to someone who needs a reminder that love can grow from loss.