Photo: Lester Cohen © WireImage.com

Born in Blue Island, IL; raised in Highland Park, IL. Theatre actor and director who co-founded Chicago's noted Steppenwolf Theater (and also coined the group's name) in 1974. As its artistic director, Sinise helmed productions of The Miss Firecracker Contest, Tracers and Waiting for the Parade before segueing to feature directing (MILES FROM HOME, 1988, the remake of OF MICE AND MEN, 1992) and acting (A MIDNIGHT CLEAR, 1992). In 1984 Sinise directed the New York production of John Guare's Landscape of the Body for the Second Stage. He later enjoyed considerable acclaim directing the New York, Chicago and Los Angeles productions of Sam Shepard's gripping True West and performing the role of Austin, a man corrupted by his elder brother (John Malkovich, also of Steppenwolf). Sinise ventured into TV directing in 1987 with an episode of Michael Mann's "Crime Story," and the following year he was given a shot at a feature film, MILES FROM HOME. A modest, moody drama with Richard Gere and Kevin Anderson as disenfranchised farmer brothers on a spree, it did not receive much critical or popular attention but suggested that Sinise had a flair for intense character studies. Sinise was reunited with Malkovich for the powerful retelling of John Steinbeck's classic OF MICE AND MEN (1992). Sinise directed from Horton Foote's screenplay and played the resourceful George to Malkovich's hulking, simple-minded Lenny. 1994 gave Sinese the greatest exposure of his career. He starred in Stephen King's blockbuster miniseries "The Stand" and as the acerbic Lt. Dan in the Robert Zemeckis's mega-hit FORREST GUMP (1994). The latter gave Sinise his first Oscar® nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Sinise did a fine job portraying real-life characters in "Truman" (1995, TV - Harry S. Truman) and "George Wallace" (1997, TV), earning an Emmy® nomination and a Golden Globe win for the former and a 1998 Emmy Award as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie and Golden Globe nomination for the latter. Other notable screen credits include THE QUICK AND THE DEAD and APOLLO 13 (both 1995), ALBINO ALLIGATOR and RANSOM (both 1996), SNAKE EYES (1998), ALL THE RAGE and THE GREEN MILE (both 1999), REINDEER GAMES, MISSION TO MARS and BRUNO (all 2000), A GENTLEMAN'S GAME (2001), IMPOSTOR and MADE-UP (both 2002), MISSION: SPACE and THE HUMAN STAIN (both 2003), and THE BIG BOUNCE (2004). Since 2004, Sinise has played Detective Mac Taylor, head of the "CSI:NY" forensic team.  Nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role 1994: FORREST GUMP 1 nomination