Gary Sinise

Born: 17th March 1955
Where: Blue Island, Illinois

The actor is probably best known for his Oscar-nominated role as Lieutenant Dan Taylor in Forrest Gump opposite Tom Hanks.

As a teenage rebel he caught the acting bug after trying out for West Side Story for fun.

In 1974, Gary co-founded the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, directing some notable productions includng Sam Shepard's True West.

The company made it's Broadway debut with that production, starring Sinise and John Malkovich.

His Hollywood career also started in the director's chair with two episodes of the stylish TV series Crime Story.

Minor appearances followed in A Midnight Clear and Of Mice and Men but he came to public notice in 1994 through the blockbuster mini-series The Stand.

His portrayal of the disabled, emotionally tortured veteran in Forrest Gump earned him numerous awards and an Oscar nomination.

He enjoyed continued success in 1995, reuniting with Tom Hanks in Apollo 13 and then starring in the film Truman which earned him the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards and an Emmy nomination.

Roles followed in Ransom, Brian De Palma's Snakeyes and Burt Hammersmith in The Green Mile with Tom Hanks.

He starred opposite Ben Affleck in John Frankenheimer's Reindeer Games and was along for the ride in Mission to Mars in 2000.

Sinise took a starring role in the disappointing sci-fi thriller Imposter and appeared opposite Anthony Hopkins in The Human Stain.