Sinise Talks About Discovery, Allies & Inspiration

CSI: New York’s leading man Gary Sinise (Mac Taylor) was interviewed by costar AJ Buckley (Adam Ross) for Scene Magazine. The actor shared the roots of his love for acting and what inspires him to keep going.

He’s well-known around the world for his movie and television roles today, but Sinise didn’t set out to become an actor. “There were circumstances that came about accidentally where I just fell in love with it,” he revealed. It all started when a drama teacher suggested he try out for West Side Story during high school. “I had no idea what I was doing, I was stumbling through [it] and trying to read it and I didn’t know what I was doing but I was cracking everybody up and everyone was laughing,” Sinise explained. “She cast me in the show and I went to rehearsals and the whole thing began for me right there. And by the end of the show, I just cried like a baby when it was over. It had touched me so much. I discovered this brand new thing and that was really important.”

Sinise’s closest ally over the years has been his wife, Moira. “I have dear friends who were allies but we would always disagree creatively,” he explained, although he added that such conflict allowed him and the other members of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company he co-founded to grow as actors. “Through all of that, my wife Moira, was always solid in my corner. Whenever I would get to feeling a lack of confidence in what I was trying to do, she was always very solid. We went through our times in the relationship when we questioned, but through the strong times, the clear times in our relationship, she was always my strongest ally.”

Inspiration comes in many forms, and Sinise is always inspired by the people he meets around the world who face tremendous difficulties and rise above them. His work with American soldiers has brought him in contact with people going through difficult times, and Sinise said he is “constantly amazed” to see people overcoming such obstacles. He added, “There is truly a resiliency and strength in the human spirit and in what people can do.”

The full interview is available from Scene Magazine. Thanks to perlnoir from TalkCSI for the heads up.