{"id":1231,"date":"2024-11-26T15:41:39","date_gmt":"2024-11-26T15:41:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/?p=1231"},"modified":"2024-11-26T15:41:42","modified_gmt":"2024-11-26T15:41:42","slug":"why-csi-star-gary-sinise-whose-son-died-at-33-left-hollywood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/archives\/1231","title":{"rendered":"Why \u201cCSI\u201d Star Gary Sinise, Whose Son Died at 33, Left Hollywood"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Gary Sinise made a surprising move years ago when he left Hollywood. After decades in the spotlight, the actor made a life-changing decision that reshaped his priorities and led him to embrace a quieter life.\n

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Gary Sinise, beloved for his role as Lt. Dan in \u201cForrest Gump,\u201d Detective Mac Taylor in \u201cCSI: NY,\u201d and other acclaimed performances, made the life-altering decision to leave Hollywood and step away from acting.\n\n

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\"Gary\n\n

Gary Sinise on the set of \u201cCSI:NY\u201d on September 1, 2004, in Los Angeles, California.\n\n\n

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From supporting his wife and late son through health battles to building a peaceful life centered on philanthropy, take a closer look at Gary\u2019s journey over the years, including why he left Hollywood and where he is now.\n\n

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\"Gary\n\n

Gary Sinise at the premiere of \u201cSGT. Will Gardner\u201d on January 8, 2019, in Hollywood, California.\n\n\n

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Why Gary Sinise Stepped Away from Hollywood\n\n
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In 2018, Gary\u2019s life took a harrowing turn when his son, McCanna \u201cMac\u201d Sinise, was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer called chordoma. The diagnosis came just two months after the actor\u2019s wife, Moira, was diagnosed with breast cancer.\n\n

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\"Gary\n\n

Gary Sinise during the 2018 Kennedy Center Spring Gala on May 6, 2018, in Washington, DC.\n\n\n

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The \u201cForrest Gump\u201d star\u2019s\u00a0wife\u00a0is an accomplished\u00a0actress\u00a0and graduate of Illinois State University. This is also incidentally where she met Gary during her college years.\n\n

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The pair married in 1981, and in his\u00a0book, \u201cGrateful American,\u201d the actor shared that their wedding, though planned for years, happened without much fanfare \u2014 they didn\u2019t even have rings at the time.\n\n

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\"Gary\n\n

Gary Sinise during the 2018 National Memorial Day Concert on May 27, 2018, in Washington, DC.\n\n\n

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The couple went on to welcome three children \u2014 Sophie, Mac, and Ella. Beyond motherhood, Moira enjoyed a notable career in the entertainment industry, starring in films such as \u201cOne More Saturday Night,\u201d \u201cOf Mice & Men,\u201d and \u201cTerminator 3: Rise of the Machines.\u201d\n\n

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She also appeared in Disney\u2019s \u201cTall Tale\u201d in 1995 and delivered an Emmy-winning performance in \u201cMurder in Green Meadows\u201d in 1987.\n\n

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\"Gary\n\n

Gary Sinise and Moira Harris at the premiere of \u201cForrest Gump\u201d in 1994 in Los Angeles, California.\n\n\n

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At one point, Moira was a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, which Gary co-founded, and she made her mark in television as well. She appeared in shows like \u201cKaren Sisco,\u201d \u201cThe Equalizer,\u201d and \u201cCrime Story.\u201d\n\n

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\"Gary\n\n

Gary Sinise and Moira Harris at the premiere of \u201cSpeed\u201d in 1994 in Los Angeles, California.\n\n\n

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She eventually stepped back from acting to focus on her family and philanthropic endeavors. In 2011, she joined the board of directors for the Gary Sinise Foundation.\n\n

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Gary and Moira\u2019s partnership, spanning over 40 years, became a cornerstone of their resilience as a family. Reflecting on their long marriage, Gary credited their shared sense of humor for keeping their bond strong.\n\n

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\"Gary\n\n

Gary Sinise and Moira Harris at the premiere of \u201cRansom\u201d in 1996 in Los Angeles, California.\n\n\n

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\u201cMy wife\u2019s a loving, funny, Irish-spirited person, and I\u2019m still surprised at some of the things she says. She makes me laugh every day,\u201d he\u00a0said. Sadly, Moira and Mac\u2019s battle against cancer consumed much of Gary\u2019s energy.\n\n

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\"Gary\n\n

Gary Sinise, Moira Harris, and their family during the actor\u2019s Star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony on April 17, 2017, in Los Angeles, California.\n\n\n

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To make matters worse, Gary\u2019s father had recently suffered a stroke, leaving his mother in need of care. Faced with so many personal battles, he realized his priorities needed to shift. \u201c[\u2026] I kind of had my hands full,\u201d the actor\u00a0shared in an interview.\n\n

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Fortunately, Moira\u2019s journey ended with a victory as she went into remission and became cancer-free. However, their son\u2019s fight was far more challenging. Mac\u2019s condition steadily worsened, leaving him increasingly disabled.\n\n

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\u201cOur son was fighting this cancer with no cure,\u201d Gary\u00a0said. \u201cTrying 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.\u201d\n\n

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\"Gary\n\n

Gary Sinise with his son, Mac Sinise.\n\n\n

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Despite the overwhelming circumstances, the actor remained committed to being by his family\u2019s side. His dedication led him to put his acting career on hold indefinitely. \u201cI had to stop traveling away from my family while their lives were on the line,\u201d he\u00a0explained.\n\n

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\"Gary\n\n

Gary and Mac Sinise posing for a photo with others.\n\n\n

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Then, earlier this year, Gary faced an unimaginable loss when Mac passed away at 33 after his long battle with chordoma. The tragedy left an indelible mark on the family, but Gary found solace in sharing his\u00a0son\u2019s music with the world.\n\n

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Before his passing, Mac had recorded a full album, \u201cResurrection & Revival: Part 2,\u201d which was posthumously released on November 10 \u2014 a date that would have marked his 34th birthday. \u201cThis has been a real labor of very deep love,\u201d Gary\u00a0reflected.\n\n

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\u201cBecause a lot of this music, I was not even aware that he had it until I discovered it on\u2026his files,\u201d he\u00a0added. Mac, a graduate of USC Thornton School of Music, had a deep passion for drumming, composition, and songwriting.\n\n

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Despite his physical challenges, which eventually left him unable to play instruments like the drums or piano, he continued to create remarkable music. He also collaborated with his father on several performances.\n\n

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\"Gary\n\n

Gary and Mac Sinise\n\n\n

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Gary spoke fondly of their time together,\u00a0saying, \u201cHe\u2019s just an exceptional drummer. He\u2019s really solid, so solid, and it was always so much fun to play with him\u2026he just had a natural talent.\u201d\n\n

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In addition to his musical pursuits, Mac served as the assistant manager of education and outreach for the Gary Sinise Foundation. He stepped down in 2020 to focus on his health, undergoing extensive rehabilitation and preparing for a fifth spinal surgery.\n\n

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Gary Sinise with his son, Mac Sinise.\n\n\n

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Gary reflected on the beauty of Mac\u2019s work, noting how his son contributed music for films, documentaries, and even his father\u2019s charity.\n\n

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\u201cI will say this about Mac and the album that he made last year \u2014 he had achieved something that he set out to do, which was to record all this music in May and make a full album of it\u2026that gave me a lot of joy\u2026just watching him kind of enjoy those moments,\u201d he\u00a0stated.\n\n

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\"Gary\n\n

Gary Sinise planting a kiss on his son Mac Sinise\u2019s head.\n\n\n

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Gary\u2019s decision to step back from Hollywood was not only driven by the practical need to support his family but also by the immense love and commitment he has for them.\n\n

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The actor and his family\u2019s decision to move further provided a more peaceful environment for their healing but also brought financial benefits.\n\n

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Gary Sinise made a surprising move years ago when he left Hollywood. After decades in the spotlight, the actor made a life-changing decision that reshaped his priorities and led him to embrace a quieter life. Gary Sinise, beloved for his role as Lt. Dan in \u201cForrest Gump,\u201d Detective Mac Taylor in \u201cCSI: NY,\u201d and other […]\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1232,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1231","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1231"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1231\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1233,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1231\/revisions\/1233"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1232"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1231"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}