[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/garysinise.jpg]]

->''"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 Creator/JeffPerry and Creator/TerryKinney.

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 ''Film/ForrestGump'', astronaut Ken Mattingly in ''Film/Apollo13'' and Detective Mac Taylor in ''Series/{{CSINY}}''.
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!!Film roles with Website/TVTropes pages:
* ''Film/AMidnightClear'' (1992) - Vance "Mother" Wilkins
* ''Literature/OfMiceAndMen'' (1992) - George Milton
* ''Film/ForrestGump'' (1994) - Lt. Dan Taylor
* ''Film/Apollo13'' (1995) - T. K. "Ken" Mattingly
* ''Film/TheQuickAndTheDead'' (1995) - the Marshall
* ''Film/{{Ransom}}'' (1996) - Det. Jimmy Shaker
* ''Film/SnakeEyes'' (1998) - Navy Cmdr. Kevin Dunne
* ''Theatre/ThatChampionshipSeason'' (1999, TV movie) - Tom Daley
* ''Film/TheGreenMile'' (1999) - Burt Hammersmith
* ''Film/MissionToMars'' (2000) - Jim [=McConnell=]
* ''Film/ReindeerGames'' (2000) - Gabriel
* ''Film/{{Impostor}}'' (2001) - Spenser Olham
* ''Film/PathToWar'' (2002 tv movie) George Wallace
* ''WesternAnimation/OpenSeason'' (2006) - Shaw (voice)
* ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'' (2014) - Smithsonian Narrator (voice)

!!Television roles with Website/TVTropes pages:
* ''Series/KnotsLanding'' (1 episode, 1980) - Lee Maddox
* ''Series/CrimeStory'' (3 episodes, 1986-1987) - Howie Dressler
* ''Series/{{Hunter|1984}}'' (1 episode, 1990) - Lord Tony Rutherford)
* ''Series/TheStand1994'' (4-part mini-series) Stu Redman
* ''Series/{{Frasier}}'' (1 episode, 1995) - Sid (voice on telephone)
* ''Film/{{Truman}}'' (1995 2-part mini-series) - Pres. Harry Truman
* ''Series/CSIMiami'' (2 episodes, 2002-2005) - Det. Mac Taylor
* ''Series/{{CSINY}}'' (197 episodes, 2004-2013) - Det. Mac Taylor
* ''Series/{{CSI}}'' (1 episode, 2013) - Det. Mac Taylor
* ''Series/CriminalMinds'' (1 episode, 2015) - FBI Agent Jack Garrett
* ''Series/CriminalMindsBeyondBorders'' (26 episodes, 2016-2017) - FBI Agent Jack Garrett
* ''Series/ThirteenReasonsWhy'' (2020) - Dr. Robert Ellman

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!!His work provides examples of:
* ArtistAndTheBand: 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 ''Film/ForrestGump'' character's name anyway, it only made sense to name the band after the character, too.
* IAmNotSpock: 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.
* LeadBassist: 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.