Gary Sinise talks about being conservative in Hollywood and the “complicated situation” of gun control

Gary Sinise shares how his political beliefs have influenced his career in Hollywood.

The actor, who is best known for his Oscar-nominated role as Lieutenant Dan in 1994 Forest Gumpspoke to Chris Wallace on Friday’s episode of Who is talking to Chris Wallace?.

Sinise has been publicly open about his political views, even founding Friends of Abe, a conservative group for Hollywood figures, in 2004. When asked if entertainment industry conservatives needed a support group, the Criminal Minds: Crossing Borders actor laughed in response, saying it was formed “during the early days of the Iraq War.”

“I think so much was motivated by… what happened to our Vietnam veterans and the lack of support they received and the way they were treated, and we later regretted that,” he added . “I didn’t want our veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to fall prey to that sort of thing. I just wanted to go in and support them. So I started looking for people who were just in the same camp as me on that subject. And I found other people in the film and television world who enjoyed getting together.”

In 1974, after Sinise graduated from high school, he also founded the Steppenwolf Theater Company in Highland Park, Illinois. It is the same city where a mass shooting took place on July 4, 2022 during an Independence Day parade. The actor told Wallace that he lived a few blocks from where it took place and actually walked in the parade as a kid.

The actor has been open about his support for the Second Amendment, and when speaking about gun control, he said, “Obviously we need multiple solutions. There is no single solution to this terrible problem we have.”

‘I’m not the man who knows exactly what to do about it all. … All I do know is that you can’t get rid of guns,” he added. “Guns are here to stay. They’ve always been a part of the American narrative. So, what do we do now that we seem to have such easy access to guns when we shouldn’t? Or people getting guns they shouldn’t? “What do we do? It’s a complicated situation. I don’t think there is one solution.”

When asked if he could have had a bigger Hollywood career if he focused on acting, he said he “had some great opportunities” and that he “can’t complain about my acting career.”

“I’ve had a blessed career in the film and television and theater world,” said Sinise. “I’ve done great things, I’ve worked with great people, and it really played a major role, if not the most important element, in what I do today on the service side.”

The Apollo 13 actor founded the Gary Sinise Foundation in 2011, which has programs such as Relief & Resiliency Outreach that provide support to those in need recovering from an injury, loss, or trauma. The nonprofit also has a program called RISE that creates smart homes for wounded American veterans.

Sinise explained that throughout his career, he eventually began to choose projects that served his greater mission. For example… I had done nine seasons of it CSI: NY. Now I had this public platform every week on television. I play a character who is not only a police officer, but also a veteran and a relative of 9/11. That gave me the opportunity to publicly honor the men and women we lost on September 11 and the firefighter we lost.”

“And then it came along Criminal Minds: Crossing Borders. … I did that because it fits the mission statement,” he continued. “I can pick and choose very specifically based on what life is about, and now life is so much more about giving back and trying to serve our veteran community and our first responder community.”