Gary Sinise Biography

Fast Facts

• Made professional stage debut in The Physicist at age 17
• At age 18, he was one of the cofounders of the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago in 1974, serving at various times as artistic director
• Directed episodes of NBC's Crime Story (1987) and ABC's thirtysomething (1989)
• Formed the band the Bonsoir Boys in which he played bass and sang
• Also played bass for the Lt
• Dan Band, a group named after his role in Forrest Gump
• Received an honorary degree (Doctor of Humane Letters) from Amherst College in 2003
• Founded Operation Iraqi Children with author Laura Hillenbrand in 2004, a program that sends school supplies to the children of Iraq
• In 2007, he participated in a documentary in support of the military called On the Road in Iraq With Our Troops and Gary Sinise
• Won a 2008 Presidential Citizen Medal for his charitable efforts
• In 2009, he narrated the acclaimed History Channel series World War II in HD