'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Forest Gump actor Gary Sinise revealed his son, Mac, whom he shares with wife Moira Harris, died on January 5. The tragic news was made known through an Instagram post on Tuesday. McCanna Anthony “Mac” Sinise was only 33 when he lost his battle to a cancer called Chordoma last month.
The 68-year-old shared a link to the Gary Sinise Foundation’s website in the caption of his post, where he wrote a long tribute to honor his son. Mac was diagnosed on August 8, 2018.
Gary wrote that this type of cancer, originating in the spine is very rare, as it affects about 300 people in the U.S. every year. He added that the initial tumor can be operated in 70% of the cases, but in the rest of the cases, the cancer returns.
The Oscar-nominated actor shared another harrowing detail of his wife Moira’s diagnosis of stage 3 breast cancer in June 2018. He said Moira’s lymph nodes were removed through surgery after which she began undergoing radiation and chemotherapy.
Gary Sinise and former actress Moira Harris tied the knot in 1981. They have two more surviving children — Sophie and Ella Sinise.
Gary Sinise's wife Moira Harris is a former actress
The CSI: NY actor had previously dedicated a similar written piece on the Gary Sinise Foundation's website to honor his wife Moira Harris.
She attended Illinois State University in Normal, during which the two met. Moira had been in the entertainment industry. She appeared in films including Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, One More Saturday Night and Of Mice & Men.
Gary Sinise’s wife also starred in the movie Breakdown. Moreover, Moira made guest appearances in a few TV shows — Crime Story, Karen Sisco and The Equalizer. She was one of the members of Steppenwolf Theatre Company — an establishment Gary helped build.
Moira Sinise received the Chicago / Midwest Emmy Award for her role in the Steppenwolf production, Murder in Green Meadows. She joined the board of directors in her husband’s foundation in June 2011.
Not a lot is known about Gary's daughters Ella and Sophie. On Ella's IMDB page, she's credited for her role in a 2011 documentary film Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good.
Gary's other daughter Sophie Sinise also starred in a few shows, including Swamp Shark, and CSI: NY. She starred in the TV movie The Heart of Christmas where she played Nurse Laura.
Gary Sinise's heartfelt tribute to his son Mac
Gary sincerely honored his son’s role and contribution to the Gary Sinise Foundation. Mac joined the establishment in 2017 as an assistant manager of Education & Outreach. The actor wrote:
“As a father, having him as part of the Foundation was a gift. He was a great representative who cared about the mission and those we serve, and I was eager to watch him grow with the organization.”
Gary remembered how Mac had always been enthusiastic about his humanitarian work.
He described his son as an "exceptional drummer" who had been playing the instrument since he was 9. The Apollo 13 actor said Mac would sometimes substitute for Danny Gottlieb, the drummer of their Lt. Dan Band. Gary recalled the time when he got to play in the band with his song, saying:
"Those were some great times, father and son rockin' out together for the troops."
Gary revealed that even though his wife Moira has been cancer-free after going into remission, Mac had to undergo a second procedure after removing his tumor. In 2019, he had a spine procedure to clear what appeared to be an infection.
To their misfortune, the results of a follow-up scan in 2019 revealed that Mac's Chordoma had returned and was spreading. It marked Mac's nearly five-year-long battle with cancer before his death in January this year.
