Gary Sinise Speaks out on Son's Death: "He Was Fighting This Cancer With No Cure"

It's been a while since we've seen Gary Sinise on screen, right? Well, in November 2024, the actor and filmmaker sat down with Fox News and revealed that he stepped away from his career in 2019 to focus on his family, as several of his loved ones were fighting cancer.

Gary's wife, actress Moira Sinise (née Harris), was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018 but is now cancer-free. At the same time, Gary's son, McCanna "Mac" Anthony Sinise, was also battling cancer. Here's what you should know about him.

Gary Sinise previously shared that his son, Mac, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Chordoma in August 2018. This aggressive bone cancer, according to the Cleveland Clinic, typically develops in the spine or at the base of the skull.

Mac passed away on Jan. 5, 2024, at the age of 33. He was laid to rest on January 23.

In an emotional interview with Fox News, Gary Sinise described Mac's battle as "especially difficult," as he fought for his life for years.

"Our son was fighting this cancer with no cure," Gary explained. "Trying to find drugs and doctors or anybody that could do anything for him was like a full-time job. Plus, he became more and more disabled by the cancer as time went on. … He needed more and more care."

Despite the relentless challenges of his illness, Gary shared that his son found some peace and was "happy at the end of his life."

And so, in a bittersweet tribute to his son, the Forrest Gump actor has briefly stepped back into the spotlight to release Mac's posthumous album, "Resurrection & Revival: Part 2."

Gary spoke with deep pride about his son's final musical achievement, telling the outlet, "I will say this about Mac and the album that he made last year … he had achieved something that he set out to do, which was to record all this music in May and make a full album of it … that gave me a lot of joy … just watching him kind of enjoy those moments."

The album has essentially become a labor of love for Gary, who discovered much of Mac's music after his tragic death: "A a lot of this music, I was not even aware that he had it until I discovered it on … his files," Gary shared.

Mac, a graduate of USC's Thornton School of Music, was known to be passionate about drumming, composition, and songwriting. However, his declining health prevented him from continuing to pursue his dreams.

Despite his disability, he and his father performed together several times before Mac's death. Mac also created "beautiful" music for Gary's charity, the Gary Sinise Foundation, and worked on projects for documentaries and films.

Before his passing, Mac also served as the assistant manager of education and outreach at the Gary Sinise Foundation. In 2020, Mac stepped down from the role to focus on his rehabilitation as he prepared for his fifth spinal surgery.

Our thoughts are with the Sinise family.