Gary Sinise left Hollywood for Nashville after son, wife were diagnosed with cancer

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https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/...160022282.html

Stephanie Giang-Paunon, Larry Fink
Thu, November 14, 2024 at 8:00 AM PST

Gary Sinise stepped away from Hollywood to focus on his family’s health.

Sinise told Fox News Digital he left Los Angeles in 2021 as multiple members of his family battled cancer, including his son and wife.

"We were in the cancer fight during that time," Sinise shared.

Sinise, who released his son's posthumous album "Resurrection & Revival: Part 2," previously told Fox News that his moving to Nashville was also motivated by not having to pay state income tax in Tennessee and having his band, the Lt. Dan Band, in the area.

Famous for his role as Lt. Dan in "Forrest Gump," Sinise explained in a new interview that he put his acting career on pause in 2019 because he had to stop traveling away from his family while their lives were on the line.

"My wife had been diagnosed with breast cancer. My son was diagnosed with this very rare cancer … within two months of each other. My dad had just had a stroke, and my mom was alone, and I had to … take care of her. … I kind of had my hands full."

While Sinise’s wife went into remission and is now cancer-free, he shared that his son’s cancer fight was "especially difficult" as he fought for his life. Sinise’s son was diagnosed with cancer in 2018.

"Our son was fighting this cancer with no cure," Sinise emotionally continued. "Trying to find drugs and doctors or anybody that could do anything for him was like a full-time job. Plus, he became more and more disabled by the cancer as time went on. … He needed more and more care."

Earlier this year, his son, McCanna "Mac" Sinise, died from a rare form of cancer called chordoma. He was 33.

Chordoma is cancer that originates in the spine and only affects an average of 300 people in the U.S. per year, Sinise, the founder of the Gary Sinise Foundation, wrote on the charity's website at the time.

Sinise told Fox News Digital that although the family was deeply impacted by their son’s death, Mac was "happy at the end of his life."

"I will say this about Mac and the album that he made last year … he had achieved something that he set out to do, which was to record all this music in May and make a full album of it … that gave me a lot of joy … just watching him kind of enjoy those moments."

Sinise opened up to Fox News Digital about how important it was for him to fulfill his son’s final wish to release his music. "Resurrection & Revival: Part 2" began shipping on Nov. 10, on what would have been Mac's 34th birthday, to fans who preordered the album.

"This has been a real labor of very deep love. Because a lot of this music, I was not even aware that he had it until I discovered it on … his files."

A graduate of USC Thorton School of Music, Mac had a passion for drumming, composition and songwriting. However, his disability rendered him unable to continue playing the drums or piano.

The father-son musical duo performed several times together prior to Mac’s death. Sinise reflected on the special moments with Fox News Digital.

"He's just an exceptional drummer. He's really solid, so solid, and it was always so much fun to play with him … he just had a natural talent."

Sinise reminisced on the "beautiful" music his late son created for his charity, the Gary Sinise Foundation. Before his death, Mac worked on music projects for documentaries and films.

"I just started listening to this stuff that he'd written for the movie, and I was very, very moved by it," he said. "I started discovering all this other music that he'd written and tucked away that I never knew about … that he never told me about."

In addition to creating music, Mac was the assistant manager of education and outreach at the Gary Sinise Foundation. In 2020, he stepped down to focus on his rehabilitation and recovery as he prepared for his fifth spinal surgery.

The Gary Sinise Foundation is dedicated to assisting veterans and first responders in need by creating unique programs designed to educate, strengthen and build communities.

Before Sinise created his charity in 2011, he worked on several films and television series, including "Forrest Gump."

As the iconic film that starred Tom Hanks celebrated its 30th anniversary, Sinise reflected on his character, Lt. Dan, and what it was like being part of the movie.

"Every time I was on set, it was fun, hard work," he remarked. "Some of it was pretty emotional and difficult sometimes. But you always felt like you were doing something pretty good."

"Did we know it was going to be … a great classic? I don't think any of us thought that, but after … the movie … was embraced by the public … it became such a big hit."

Since its release in 1994, "Forrest Gump" has taken home six Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Director, Best Visual Effects, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Editing.

Sinise added that he kept in touch with cast members including, Mykelti Williamson, who portrayed Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue, Gump’s best friend in the film.

"Mykelti Williamson I'm in touch with. We stayed friends all those years … we were playing golf all the time … and we became very good friends."

Sinise’s band, the Lt. Dan Band, was inspired by his "Forrest Gump" character. He explained he named his band after his role since he started visiting troops overseas for his foundation.