The University of Southern California has a wonderful social work department, and I was thrilled to find out that they have a whole veterans' initiative program there. They approached me, and I set up a scholarship that would go to a military-oriented person to learn techniques and skills to better help veterans.

Gary Sinise

Careers, like rockets, don't always take off on time. The trick is to always keep the engine running.

Gary Sinise

I study to learn, to be an educated person.

Gary Sinise

The wonderful drama teacher at my high school, Barbara Patterson, saw me standing in the hall and told me I should audition for 'West Side Story.' I guess she thought I looked like a gang member.

Gary Sinise

You learn from things that don't go well, and you try to capitalize when they do. You build on those strengths and try to make your weaknesses stronger.

Gary Sinise

I played a character in 'Ransom' who was as evil as they come.

Gary Sinise

I've worked with a lot of really fine actors, both on stage and on screen. The level of their game lifts me up and brings the level of my game up to theirs. Always. It's like a constant upgrade.

Gary Sinise

I go into military communities and do fundraisers and that kind of thing with the band, because I know that the music can help do a lot of things. It can bring communities together, it can raise awareness... and it entertains.

Gary Sinise

If you're missing three or four limbs, you have special challenges going forward. And the last thing you want is to not be independent in your home.

Gary Sinise

I'm not like one of those actors who's a frustrated director.

Gary Sinise

I've directed enough in the theatre and a couple of films to know that - to feel fairly secure that if I find a story that I really like I can probably get it done somewhat.

Gary Sinise

I can honestly say that I've done everything I've wanted to do, always. Not without difficulty. But every time I wanted to do something, I just did it, from the age of 18 when I started my own theater with my friends. When I decided I wanted to act. I just bit the bullet.

Gary Sinise

Wherever I go for the military, they always call me Lt. Dan. They just can't help it.

Gary Sinise

'The Stand' came out in May of '94 and was seen by 60 million people a night for four nights, and then two months later, 'Forrest Gump' opened. So within a very short time, I went from being depressed about not getting any work to being in two of the most popular shows of the year.

Gary Sinise

I save money when I'm working so that I never have to take a role simply to pay the bills.

Gary Sinise

You've got to keep taking certain risks, because my priority is in acting, it's not in movie stardom.

Gary Sinise

My wife's a loving, funny, Irish-spirited person, and I'm still surprised at some of the things she says. She makes me laugh every day.

Gary Sinise

The chance to play a romantic character who kisses somebody onscreen was one of the elements that made me want to do 'The Stand.' The more you can do, the better, and I've been known as a character actor.

Gary Sinise

Unless you have a long-running series, most actors just go job to job if you're lucky to keep working. You just do a movie or a play or a TV thing, and it's over at some point.

Gary Sinise

Have I done more business-related things to help my career grow? Yeah. I took the business end more seriously, hooked up with a manager, got some help, because at a certain point, you get frustrated when you go do auditions, and people say you did a great job, and then you don't get he part.

Gary Sinise

Well, I've been to Iraq twice now. I was in Baghdad in June and then north of Baghdad in November.

Gary Sinise