Gary Sinise Shares Heartbreaking Loss of Son to Rare Cancer at 33
Beloved actor and philanthropist Gary Sinise has opened up about the devastating loss of his son, Mac, who passed away at the age of 33 after a courageous battle with a rare form of cancer.
The Forrest Gump star temporarily stepped back from his acting career when tragedy struck his family in 2019 — both his wife, Moira, and son, Mac, were diagnosed with cancer within months of each other. Moira was diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer, and just two months later, the family received the crushing news that Mac had been diagnosed with chordoma, an extremely rare and aggressive type of bone cancer that affects only around 300 people in the U.S. each year.
While Moira would go on to beat her illness and be declared cancer-free, Mac’s journey came to a heartbreaking end in January 2024.
In a deeply moving message shared on the Gary Sinise Foundation website, Sinise wrote:
“He died on January 5, 2024 at 3:25pm, and was laid to rest on January 23rd. Like any family experiencing such a loss, we are heartbroken and have been managing as best we can… I am so blessed, fortunate, and proud to be his dad.”
In a recent interview with People magazine, Sinise shared more about Mac’s quiet strength and the toll of the rare disease. Despite the unimaginable pain, he continues to honor his son’s memory through strength, love, and continued dedication to his family and charitable work.
Sinise recalled the chilling moment he first saw Mac’s MRI, describing the image with haunting clarity:
“It looked like a monster grabbing my son’s spine,” he told People magazine.
Though surgeons were able to remove the tumor, Mac was tragically among the rare chordoma patients whose cancer returned. His fight became a grueling journey, with much of 2020 spent in and out of the hospital — six of the first eight months in care. Witnessing his son endure such intense suffering, Sinise made a life-altering decision.
“That’s when I stopped acting,” the Forrest Gump star revealed.
“I started putting everything I had into trying to find a miracle for Mac.”
Driven by love and hope, Sinise put his career on hold and dedicated himself fully to supporting his son in every way possible — a testament to the quiet strength and devotion that have long defined both his roles on screen and his mission off it.
Gary Sinise Opens Up About the Heartbreaking Loss of His Son Mac to Rare Cancer
Award-winning actor and humanitarian Gary Sinise has shared the deeply emotional journey of his son Mac’s battle with a rare and aggressive form of cancer — a battle that ended in heartbreak when Mac passed away on January 5, 2024, at just 33 years old.
The tragedy began in 2019, when Mac was diagnosed with chordoma, a rare form of bone cancer that affects only about 300 people in the U.S. each year. The diagnosis came just two months after Gary’s wife, Moira, was diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer. While Moira would go on to beat her illness and be declared cancer-free, Mac’s path was far more uncertain.
Sinise described the chilling moment he first saw Mac’s MRI scan:
“It looked like a monster grabbing my son’s spine.”
Though surgeons successfully removed the initial tumor, Mac’s cancer returned — a devastating reality for a small subset of chordoma patients. Throughout much of 2020, Mac remained hospitalized, enduring grueling treatments as his family rallied by his side.
“That’s when I stopped acting,” Sinise told People magazine.
“I started putting everything I had into trying to find a miracle for Mac.”
As any parent would, Sinise devoted himself completely to his son’s care.
“I didn’t want Mac to be thinking of the next treatment or to worry,” he said.
“So I thought about cancer all the time. You’re trying to take the pain away. A few times I felt like I couldn’t do enough, or I didn’t know what to do. Then you say a little prayer, get back up and go back into the fight.”
Despite the unwavering support, Mac’s condition slowly worsened. Visible tumors began to appear, and the treatments no longer showed signs of working. But even in the darkest moments, hope remained.
“Hope keeps you in the fight,” Sinise said.
“I wasn’t thinking we were going to lose him.”
Tragically, on January 5, 2024, Mac passed away, surrounded by those who loved him most.
“He kept wanting to stay,” Sinise recalled. “He didn’t want to go. But I know Mac was at peace at the end. He dealt with it with grace and courage.”
In the weeks since Mac’s passing, Sinise has leaned on faith, family, and the enduring bond he shares with his daughters. A return to acting may one day come, he says — but for now, his focus is where it matters most.
“Something may come along and it’ll be right, but it’s harder to leave home now,” he said.
“I just want to be around family. Since losing Mac, I hold my daughters a lot tighter. You think about the things that are really important.”
Rest in peace, Mac Sinise — a brave soul remembered with love, grace, and honor.