You may remember Gary Sinise from his starring role in the 1994 classic, Forrest Gump. Sinise played Forrest's Lieutenant, Dan Taylor and since starring in the movie, Sinise has dedicated much of his time and energy to helping real U.S. veterans.
Continue scrolling to learn more about his admirable work...
Gary is open about how his part in Forrest Gump changed his life.
via: IMDb
The actor is incredibly humble and he took his role very seriously.The role allowed him to think about the sacrifice of U.S soldiers.
via: IMDb
Sinise's character, Lt. Dan Taylor, has his legs blown off during the movie. The experience of playing Taylor opened his eyes as to how hard it can be for soldiers facing a lifetime of rehabilitation.Gary Sinise now takes every opportunity to support the troops.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, he wrote: "Lt Dan Taylor will always be a favorite and special role. Not only was it an honor to act alongside some incredible talent, working on a great script directed by Robert Zemeckis, but the character itself helped forge a bond with our nation’s military that I never could have predicted."The Gary Sinise Foundation was established in 2009.
For the past decade, Gary and his team have worked tirelessly making life a little easier for U.S war veterans. Since 2009, the foundation has built sixty-two specially adapted "smart homes" for wounded vets, they have provided 197,313+ veterans with food, and have sent 1,121 veterans and guardians on their "Soaring Valor experiences."Gary has done all this whilst juggling his acting career.
Aside from his tireless charity efforts, Sinise has remained an active figure in television and movies. Right up until 2013, Sinise played the much-loved character, Mac Taylor, on CSI: Miami, CSI: Investigations, and CSI: NY.Let's talk about Sinise's acting partner, Tom Hanks.
via: Getty Images
It's clear that Tom Hanks and Gary Sinise must like making movies together. So far, the duo has starred in five movies together: Forrest Gump (1994), Apollo 13 (1995), The Green Mile (1999), Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon (2005) and Beyond All Boundaries (2009.)Gary Sinise is also a talented musician.
via: Twitter
His band, the LT Dan Band, can often be found entertaining troops with their sound.I think it's safe to say that the troops are big fans.
via: Twitter
The LT Dan Band playing live is a tour highlight for many soldiers.Gary's foundation takes veterans and their families on holiday every year.
via: Twitter
And they don't just take them to any old place...They send them to the most magical place in America...
The Disneyland Resort in Orlando!It's clear that Gary really cares.
via: Twitter
This is one guy that does everything in his power to improve the lives of others.Veterans really appreciate him.
@GarySinise Mr, Sinise I am a veteran and want to say THANK YOU for this! I also live in Orlando and would love to… https://t.co/VozA5X1dJ2— CupScene.com © 1996 (@CupScene.com © 1996)1576029114.0
"You're the type of celebrity worth fighting for."
@GarySinise As a 20 year Active Duty Army Veteran, I would like to say thank you sir; thank you for being the type… https://t.co/yDhqQLYkL4— Jason Andrews (@Jason Andrews)1576029238.0
Gary just loves what he does!
via: Twitter
It's plain to see that supporting U.S Veterans has brought happiness and fulfillment to Gary Sinise's life.Gary really is a top guy.
Continue scrolling to see just how magical the trip to Orlando is for the Veterans that were given the opportunity...Dreams do come true.
The annual Gary Sinise Foundation Snowball Express event at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL is right around… https://t.co/IPM9p7Cbuc— GarySiniseFoundation (@GarySiniseFoundation)1575497489.0