Why Did Gary Sinise Leave Hollywood? All About His Emotional Decision to Stop Acting — and Whether He’ll Ever Return

Gary Sinise has traded in the Hollywood lights for a quieter life in Tennessee.

The Illinois-born actor rose to fame after portraying wounded Vietnam soldier Lieutenant Dan Taylor in 1994’s Forrest Gump. Throughout his decades-long career, Sinise starred in several notable projects — from 1995’s Apollo 13 to the hit CBS drama CSI: NY throughout the early 2000s — while also pursuing a side career in music as the frontman of the Lt. Dan Band.

Over the years, he earned widespread recognition for his roles, receiving an Oscar nomination and winning both an Emmy and a Golden Globe. He was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in April 2017.

In 2020, he appeared in three projects — I Still Believe, Joe Bell and Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why — which also marked the end of an era for the actor.

“I haven’t been back to work since 2019,” Sinise told PEOPLE in May 2025. “Something may come along and it’ll be right, but it’s harder to leave home now.”

So why did Gary Sinise quit Hollywood? Here’s everything to know about the reason the Oscar nominee stopped acting and where he is today.

Why did Gary Sinise stop acting?

During a May 2025 conversation with PEOPLE, Sinise shared that he paused his acting career to focus on his family.

In 2018, just months after his wife Moira was diagnosed with breast cancer, their son Mac learned he had chordoma, a type of rare bone cancer that affects around 300 people in the U.S. per year.

“It looked like a monster grabbing my son’s spine,” Sinise recalled of the early MRI scan, adding that navigating Moira and Mac’s cancers simultaneously felt like a “one-two punch.”

In 2020, Mac spent six months in the hospital, prompting Sinise to shift priorities and put his acting career on hold.

“That’s when I stopped acting. I started putting everything I had into trying to find a miracle for Mac,” he said, noting that he became his son’s “air traffic controller.”

“I didn’t want Mac to be thinking of the next treatment or to worry,” Sinise said. “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.”

What happened to Gary Sinise’s son?

Mac had his tumor removed by doctors, only for the cancer to return later on. Between 2018 and 2020, he underwent five separate spine surgeries. Over time, his condition worsened as the tumors paralyzed him from the chest down and restricted the full use of his arms.

Following his years-long journey with cancer, Mac died on Jan. 5, 2024, at 33 years old.

Sinise shared the tragic news on his foundation’s website, writing, “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,” the actor said. “We’ve all experienced it in some way.”

He continued, “Our family’s cancer fight lasted for 5 ½ years, and it became more and more challenging as time went on. While our hearts ache at missing him, we are comforted in knowing that Mac is no longer struggling, and inspired and moved by how he managed it. He fought an uphill battle against a cancer that has no cure, but he never quit trying.”

Sinise opened up about Mac’s final moments during his conversation with PEOPLE, saying, “I know Mac was at peace at the end. He dealt with it with grace and courage.”

What happened to Gary Sinise’s wife and other family members?

In the summer of 2018, Sinise’s wife, Moira — whom he met when he co-founded Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company — was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. She underwent eight rounds of chemotherapy and 35 radiation treatments before ultimately being declared cancer-free.

But Sinise had already stepped into a caregiving role years earlier, after his father suffered a stroke in 2016.

During a November 2024 conversation with Fox News, Sinise explained that after his dad’s stroke, he had to “take care” of his mom, who was “alone” at the time.

“I kind of had my hands full,” he recalled.

Where is Gary Sinise now?

Since stepping away from acting, Sinise has been focused on healing from the loss of his son, preserving his memory and spending time with his close-knit family.

Sinise, who is also a father to daughters Sophie and Ella, told PEOPLE that he and his family “pulled together quite a lot” in the aftermath of Mac’s death. The actor relocated to Nashville, where he enjoys spending time with his five grandchildren.

“It’s just the most wonderful thing,” he said.

In addition to spending time with his family, Sinise finds purpose in continuing his late son Mac’s legacy, primarily through music.

In 2023, Mac — a musician and composer — reconnected with a friend from the University of Southern California’s music school who helped bring some of his long-shelved compositions back to life. He celebrated his 33rd birthday that November by recording tracks for an album titled Resurrection & Revival. Sadly, he never got the chance to finish it before his death.

In the months following Mac’s death, Sinise discovered more of his son’s music on his laptop and used it to record a second album. The actor then released the two projects, Resurrection & Revival: Parts 1 and 2, with the money going toward the Gary Sinise Foundation, per Mac’s request.

“I want people to hear his music,” he told PEOPLE. “I want people to share it. I’m on a mission.”

As for whether he would ever return to Hollywood, Sinise isn’t sure if that’s in the cards.

“I just want to be around family,” he explained. “Since losing Mac, I hold my daughters a lot tighter. You think about the things that are really important.”

What is the Gary Sinise Foundation?

In 2011, the Forrest Gump actor launched the Gary Sinise Foundation, whose mission is to “serve our nation by honoring our defenders, veterans, first responders, their families, and those in need,” per its website.

During his conversation with PEOPLE, Sinise explained how his work with the foundation — which raises millions of dollars for veterans annually — also helped him grapple with his son’s death, saying, “I’ve wrapped my arms around lots of kids who have lost a mom or a dad.”

“I’ve been around people that have persevered through difficult things. It’s given me strength,” he continued. “There’s no question God prepared me well for dealing with our loss.”

Sinise has advocated on behalf of America’s service members for decades and will return to co-host the National Memorial Day Concert in Washington, D.C., on May 25.

According to PBS, he also serves as spokesperson for both the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial Foundation and Disabled American Veterans, while also sitting on the executive councils for The Medal of Honor Foundation and the USO.

Sinise also released an autobiography, titled Grateful American: A Journey from Self to Service, which tells the story of how he “found his calling” in preserving the memory of those who have defended the country, per its synopsis.

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