Actor Gary Sinise, who starred in the Hallmark movie “Fallen Angel,” lost his son Mac Sinise in January 2024. In a new interview with People, Sinise opened up about his son’s journey with cancer, his decision to leave acting, and revealed what has helped him heal.
Mac Sinise Handled His Cancer Journey With Grace & Courage
In his interview with People, Sinise said his son handled his difficult cancer journey with “pure grace and courage.”
Mac Sinise’s cancer diagnosis came at a difficult time for the family. Sinise explained his father had experienced a stroke and was in intensive care for a month. Less than two years later, Sinise’s wife Moira was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer.
As his wife was going through chemotherapy and radiation, their son noted he was experiencing pain in his tailbone. They consulted a spine doctor Sinise’s wife used, and an MRI showed what looked like “a monster just grabbing my son’s spine.”
A diagnosis of chordoma came next, which is a rare bone cancer. Surgery initially seemed successful, but in May 2019, his cancer had returned. Additional surgeries followed as more tumors grew, and Sinise noted that his son spent six out of the first eight months of the year in the hospital.
At that stage, Sinise told his team he needed to drop all of his acting work as he felt he couldn’t leave home. “There were a few times where I felt like I couldn’t do enough” to help his son, he admitted.
As the cancer progressed, Mac Sinise became increasingly limited in his ability to move. He eventually became paralyzed from the chest down, but “His spirit was incredible throughout.”
Sinise said, “Our entire family [was] just so inspired by the way Mac dealt with everything.”
The Actor’s Son Died Shortly After Releasing an Album
As his mobility became more restricted, Mac Sinise turned his attention to his passion for music. He started working on music he had created while in college, and within a matter of months, he was in a studio with a school friend, having an orchestra record it.
Sinise and his family heard his son’s piece, “Arctic Circles,” for the first time as the orchestra recorded it. That prompted a decision for the family to leave California and move to Nashville, Tennessee, where a full album was recorded.
Mac Sinise finished recording the album on his 33rd birthday in November 2023. “He couldn’t have had a better birthday, he was so happy that day,” Sinise recalled.
At the end of December 2023, they had a party where they listened to the music and watched the videos that had been made with it. “Mac was, he was struggling, but he was happy,” Sinise recalled.
Two days later, the actor noted, he had to take his son to the hospital. Less than a week after that, Mac Sinise died.
“I know Mac was at peace at the end. He was graceful in accepting what was happening to him,” he explained.
The Family Counts Their Blessings Despite Their Heartache
After his son’s death, Sinise found more music created by his son, and a second album was created. The second album was launched on November 10, 2024, Mac’s birthday.
It has meant a lot to Sinise that people have enjoyed his son’s music. He noted, “There’s a couple different things that can happen” when a family faces heartbreak like his has. “It can destroy you or it can make you come together.”
His family has come together, and he said he sees things “a little differently” now. “We were blessed in so many ways, and we always knew that, and Mac always knew that, too. We all felt blessed even though we were dealing with a horrible thing, so we kept counting those blessings all the time.”
After losing his son, the actor admitted he is “just holding my daughters a lot tighter.” He said he may return to acting at some point, but he doesn’t want to leave home for lengthy periods.
He’s a grandfather now, and that brings him great joy. “I’m Papa, I love everything about it.” Sinise added, “Being around them is just always a joy and really, really fun. And that’s one of the things you don’t want to miss.”
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Gary Sinise Reflects on Son’s ‘Pure Grace & Courage’ Through Cancer Journey