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Gary Sinise

Gary Sinise

Actor, also director and producer · Born March 17, 1955 (71) · Blue Island, Illinois, USA

Gary Alan Sinise (born March 17, 1955) is an American actor, film director, humanitarian, and musician. Among other awards, he has won a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. He has also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was nominated for an Academy Award. He has also received numerous awards and honors for his extensive humanitarian work and involvement with charitable organizations. He is a supporter of various veterans' organizations and founded the Lt. Dan Band (named after his character in Forrest Gump), which plays at military bases around the world. His acting career started on stage with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 1983 when he directed and starred in a production of Sam Shepard's True West for which he earned a Obie Award. He would later earn four Tony Award nominations including for his performances in The Grapes of Wrath and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. He earned the Tony Award's Regional Theatre Award alongside the Steppenwolf Theatre Company. He first starred in the film adaptation of John Steinbeck's classic novel Of Mice and Men which he also directed and produced. Sinise played George Milton alongside John Malkovich who played Lennie. One of his most well-known roles is as Lieutenant Dan Taylor in Forrest Gump (1994) for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also appeared in other feature films including Ron Howard's Apollo 13 (1995), Ransom (1996), Frank Darabont's The Green Mile (1999) and Impostor (2002). His television performances include Harry S. Truman in Truman  (1995), for which he won a Golden Globe, and the title role in the television film George Wallace, for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award. He had a leading role as Detective Mac Taylor in the CBS drama series CSI: NY (2004–13). From 2016 to 2017, he starred as Special Agent Jack Garrett in Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders. In 2017, he had a role on the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. He has also been a narrator on multiple docuseries and documentaries.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 17, 1955 (71)
From
Blue Island, Illinois, USA
Works as
Actor, also director and producer
Titles
53 on MovieCove · 77 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 33% in 30 days

What are Gary Sinise's films like?

Across their 42 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.

Genres

Drama11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 51st percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Documentary9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 81st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Action4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 38th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 39th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 44th percentile
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
21%
Morality
19%
Bonds
18%
Survival
17%
Society
16%
Ideas
5%
Power
5%
Family bonds8 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose7 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival6 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship5 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief6 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 36 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 9 · Serious 12 · Dark 15

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 27 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 9 · Charged 17 · Intense 10

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 15 · Shifting 17 · Whiplash 4

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 28 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 3

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 21 · Even-paced 12 · Relentless 3

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 18 · Engaged 14 · Full focus 4

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 12 · Affecting 9 · Heavy 15

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 28 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 3

Roles they play

28 analyzed roles

Usually the Mentor: 9 of 28 analyzed roles.

Mentor
9 of 28
Hero
7 of 28
Shadow
5 of 28
Herald
3 of 28
Ally
2 of 28
Trickster
1 of 28
Threshold guardian
1 of 28
Show the 28 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
22
Hopeful
19
Melancholic
18
Contemplative
18
Warm
10
Other
28

How their films linger

Hopeful20 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy8
  • Bittersweet22
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous8

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Gary Sinise's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 41 of their 53 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (19).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Gary Sinise's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

77 credits, 53 with a MovieCove page; 32 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Gary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    as Gary

  • The Heroism and Resiliency of 9/11: From Tragedy to Triumph(2026)

    as Narrator

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Star Spangled Adventures - The Movie! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    as Robert E. Lee (voice)

  • Brothers After War(2023)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Saving Wrigley Field (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    as Narrator

  • Joe Bell(2020)

    as Sheriff Westin

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • I Still Believe(2020)

    as Tom Camp

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • SGT. Will Gardner(2019)

    as Larry

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Steve McQueen: American Icon(2017)

    as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • 13 Reasons Why(2017)

    Show 10 episodes · as Robert Ellman

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders(2016)

    Show 26 episodes · as Jack Garrett

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all shows

  • Finding Noah(2015)

    as narrator

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Beyond Glory(2015)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Climb: The Rob Jones Journey Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • Captain America: The Winter Soldier(2014)

    as The Smithsonian Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Medal of Honor: The History(2014)

    as Narrator

  • A Game of Honor(2011)

    as Narrator

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Chicago Cubs: The Heart and Soul of Chicago (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • WWII in HD(2009)

    Show 10 episodes · as Narrator

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Beyond All Boundaries (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Ernie Pyle

  • We Believe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Narrator

  • Brothers at War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Executive Producer

  • When We Left Earth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Narrator

  • Open Season(2006)

    as Shaw (voice)

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Best of The Tony Awards: The Plays (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Randle P. McMurphy (segment "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest")

  • Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Gene Cernan

  • Criminal Minds(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Jack Garrett

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • The Forgotten(2004)

    as Dr. Munce

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • CSI: NY(2004)

    Show 197 episodes · as Mac Taylor

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • The Big Bounce(2004)

    as Ray Ritchie

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Dennis Miller (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Human Stain(2003)

    as Nathan Zuckerman

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Path to War(2002)

    as George Wallace

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Fallen Angel(2003)

    as Terry McQuinn

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • CSI: Miami(2002)

    Show 2 episodes · as Mac Taylor

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all shows

  • A Gentleman's Game(2002)

    as Foster Pearse

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Hideous Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Hideous Man

  • Made-Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Duncan Tivey

  • Impostor(2001)

    Producer · as Spencer Olham

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • CSI: Crime Scene Investigation(2000)

    Show 1 episode · as Mac Taylor

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • All the Rage(1999)

    as Morgan

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Bruno(2000)

    as Dino Battaglia

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Mission to Mars(2000)

    as Jim McConnell

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Reindeer Games(2000)

    as Gabriel Mercer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • The Green Mile(1999)

    as Burt Hammersmith

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • That Championship Season(1999)

    Executive Producer · as Tom Daley

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Snake Eyes(1998)

    as Kevin Dunne

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Inside the Space Shuttle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Gary Sinise (Voice)

  • George Wallace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as George C. Wallace

  • George Wallace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 2 episodes · as George C. Wallace

  • Albino Alligator(1996)

    as Milo

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Ransom(1996)

    as Det. Jimmy Shaker

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • The West(1996)

    Show 9 episodes · as T. P. Eagan

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Truman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Harry S Truman

  • Apollo 13(1995)

    as Ken Mattingly

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Quick and the Dead(1995)

    as Marshall

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Forrest Gump(1994)

    as Lieutenant Dan Taylor

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Stand(1994)

    Show 4 episodes · as Stu Redman

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all shows

  • Frasier(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Sid (voice)

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Jack the Bear(1993)

    as Norman Strick

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Of Mice and Men(1992)

    Director · Producer · as George Milton

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • A Midnight Clear(1992)

    as Vance 'Mother' Wilkins

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Witness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Young Soldier

  • The Grapes of Wrath (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Tom Joad

  • The Final Days(1989)

    as Richard Ben-Veniste

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • My Name Is Bill W.(1989)

    as Ebby

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Miles from Home(1988)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • China Beach(1988)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • thirtysomething (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Crime Story(1986)

    Show 2 episodes · Director · as Howie Dressler

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Hunter(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Lord Tony Rutherford

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows

  • Family Secrets(1984)

    as Motorcyclist

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • True West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Austin

  • American Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · Director · as Austin · as Tom Joad

  • Knots Landing(1979)

    Show 1 episode · as Lee Maddox

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows

  • A Wedding(1978)

    as Extra (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Ebb, Bill's best friend

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 76 titles from 1951 to 2026; peak year 2000.

Biggest box office

Forrest Gump (1994)

$678M worldwide

Highest rated

Forrest Gump (1994)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

CSI: NY (2004)

Film career

19512026

Peak 2000 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 15 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting71 of 76: 66 only acting, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score64thDirecting6 of 76: 3 only directing, 3 with another roleProducing5 of 76: 2 only producing, 3 with another role

76 titles, 5 with more than one role — acting and directing overlap on 3 of them.

By decade

1950s1 · acting1970s2 · acting1980s10 · 7 acting · 5 crew1990s20 · 20 acting · 2 crew2000s26 · 25 acting · 2 crew2010s10 · acting2020s7 · 6 acting · 1 crew

Billing

usually 3rd · top billed in 13% of 24 roles
929702

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Gary Sinise's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 62nd percentile, the median of the 38 of 39 with a score; across their 35 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 59th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 35

Approval · how many liked their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 35

Reach · how many have seen their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 35

Midcredits score across 52 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up22
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th17
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

15 of their 52 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved12
  • Loved with Detractors2
  • Cult Classic3
  • Crowd Pleaser15
  • Broadly Agreed8
  • Mixed12

Most divisive · actor

The Heroism and Resiliency of 9/11: From Tragedy to Triumph (2026)

98th percentile spread · 22% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Forrest Gump (1994)

Midcredits 99th · 94% liked

Reviewers score the acting 69/100 in their films, across 28 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 45. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Gary Sinise's work okay for kids?

Across up to 16 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore15 titles29–77 · median 54 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity16 titles15–59 · median 29 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity15 titles27–81 · median 49 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs14 titles18–61 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense15 titles39–64 · median 58 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Gary Sinise work with?

People who share at least 2 of Gary Sinise's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Tom Hanks shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles