Gary Sinise has recently opened up about losing his 33-year-old son, Mac, to a rare form of cancer. After stepping away from Hollywood in 2019 to care for Mac during his illness, Sinise talks about the impact of his son’s illness and death.
Gary Sinise details aftermath of his son’s death
Gary Sinise has opened up about stepping away from acting to care for his son Mac. In 2019, the Forrest Gump star quietly left Hollywood when his son was diagnosed with chordoma, a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer.
In 2018, Sinise’s life took an unexpected turn when his wife Moira was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. While they were navigating through Moira’s treatment, the family learned Mac had a tumor on his lower spine. After undergoing intense treatment, Moira went into remission.
However, the same wasn’t true for Mac. While his initial tumor was surgically removed, the cancer returned, which happens with a small percentage of chordoma cases. Sinise juggled work on projects like 13 Reasons Why while coordinating Mac’s care. The actor used to spend time researching treatments and staying in constant contact with doctors.
By 2020, Mac had been hospitalized for six of the first eight months. That was when Sinise stepped away from acting entirely. Sinise told PEOPLE, “I started putting everything I had into trying to find a miracle for Mac. I didn’t want Mac to be thinking of the next treatment or to worry.”
As Mac became paralyzed from the chest down, and lost use of his arms, Sinise and his family turned towards their Catholic faith. He said, “You could see tumors on his body. You knew the drugs weren’t working. But I wasn’t thinking we were going to lose him.” Mac passed away in January 2024 at the age of 33 and Sinise has since found comfort in family, faith, and honoring his son’s legacy. Sinise shared, “Mac left us things that are beautiful. I want people to know who he was.”
While talking about his return to acting and Hollywood, Sinise remains unsure. “Something may come along and it’ll be right, but it’s harder to leave home now.” As of now, the actor is focused on spending time with his family.
Originally reported by Disheeta Maheshwari on ComingSoon.net.
