“I just want to be around family” - Gary Sinise on leaving Hollywood and losing his son to cancer

Senior actor, Gary Sinise, widely known for his role as Lieutenant Dan Taylor in Robert Zemeckis' Oscar-winning film Forrest Gump, opened up to People about leaving Hollywood and the death of his son, McCanna Anthony Sinise, commonly known as Mac. Gary stepped aside from his Hollywood career in 2019 to take care of and be with his son, Mac, as he was diagnosed with a rare kind of spinal cancer, Chordoma. After battling for almost five years, Mac passed away at the age of 33 on January 5, 2024.

The Academy Award-nominated actor, Gary Sinise, who has been married to Moira Harris since 1981, besides Mac, shares two daughters, Ella and Sophie. Just before Mac was diagnosed with Chordoma in 2019, Gary's wife, Moira, was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in 2018. While they were still figuring out how to deal with Moira's situation, Gary and his family found out that Mac, who was 27 at the time, had a tumor on his lower backbone.

While Mac's condition deteriorated, Moira was declared free of cancer by the doctors after eight chemotherapy treatments and 35 radiation treatments. Gary recalled that Mac, unfortunately, was among the few people whose cancer returned even after getting rid of the tumor. Mac took his last breath at the hospital while he was surrounded by his family members. Sinise recalled the day and said:

"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."

While Gary was unsure about when or if at all, he would be returning to acting. The Apollo 13 actor said:

"Something may come along and it’ll be right, but it’s harder to leave home now. 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."

Gary Sinise's late son Mac was a musician

The Albino Alligator actor, Sinise, who had an immensely successful acting career and won several accolades, wants people to listen to his late son's music. Mac, who attended the University of Southern California music school from which he graduated, was a musician and composer. Besides the instruments he could play, he also taught himself how to play a harmonica.

While Mac was a dedicated drummer, he also wrote music for promotional videos for his father's foundation Gary Sinise Foundation. As Gary wants people to hear his son's music, he hopes that someday his son's albums will be played by a live orchestra. Sinise, regarding Mac's music, said:

 

"I want people to hear his music. I want people to share it. I’m on a mission."