Quote Of The Day By CSI: NY Star Gary Sinise: 'I Realized Quite A Long Time Ago That...'

Gary Sinise co-founded the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 1973 and began his stage career with a production of "True West," among other projects. Since then, performances in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "The Grapes of Wrath" earned him Tony Award nominations. In addition to his robust theater background, Sinise is also known for major film and television roles.

Sinise's first credited television role was in an episode of '80s primetime soap "Knots Landing." After that, the actor went on to star in the 1994 series adaptation of Stephen King's "The Stand," in which he played Stu Redman. Sinise also played Harry S. Truman in "Truman," which earned him a Golden Globe. He went on to star in shows like "CSI: NY," and "Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders." Sinise also won a Primetime Emmy for playing the title role in "George Wallace."

Sinise also played Lieutenant Dan Taylor in "Forrest Gump," for which he received an Academy Award nomination. He has also appeared in films like "Of Mice and Men," "Apollo 13," "The Green Mile," and "Impostor."

Sinise's highly respectable acting career goes hand-in-hand with his extensive humanitarian work, which is why he is today's Quote of the Day.

"I realized quite a long time ago that the blessing of being a celebrity, being successful in the entertainment business, can be a monumental tool or weapon to use in a positive way."

The above quote is from Sinise's 2013 interview with The Saturday Evening Post. When asked whether being famous has helped him accomplish a lot, Sinise affirmed that fame can be used for good. "Of course, I had the challenge of adapting to fame in the early days," the actor stated, talking about how he "went from obscurity to being recognizable," which can be tricky to navigate as a young actor.

"'Forrest Gump' came out, and all of a sudden I was in a big movie and things were starting to change," Sinise added in the same interview. Despite these challenges, Sinise maintained that actions "do speak louder than words," and that he does his utmost to inspire people and leave a positive impact. "I try to take action and, if I can inspire somebody to do something positive that gives back and encourage others to do the same, then I feel like I've done a good job," Sinise said.

Sinise's quote should be contextualized against his lifelong humanitarian work, which includes aiding first responders and veterans with a focus on their mental health. Sinise received the Presidential Citizens Medal for his contributions in 2008. In 2011, he established the Gary Sinise Foundation to streamline these efforts, which also prioritizes the education of the youth and providing support to veterans with disabilities.

"It's not a side thing that I do," Sinise said. "I've been all over the world to talk to veterans and active duty service members and visit hospitals and raise money to help our wounded soldiers," the actor stated. "I've seen some very sad things—the injuries that our men and women have suffered. And the grieving families that have lost a loved one."

Sinise's quote maintains that while fame can be overwhelming, it can be used to help anyone in need. The key is to transform intentions into actions that can inspire others to follow a similar path.

• "[On his humanitarian work] I've spent a lot of years doing this work. Within the military community and the first responder community, they've given me a lot over the years. For a long time, I would just collect all these amazing things and have them in the garage, with no place to put any of it. When I started the foundation, we said, 'Let's put it all up. Let's let people see it and enjoy it.'" — from an interview with Ability Magazine
• "To me, we can never do enough for our veterans. I do think that the private sector and private citizens have a responsibility to take care of those who serve and protect and defend us. That's just my personal feeling. Every one of us benefits from the freedoms we enjoy because we have people that are willing to sacrifice for those freedoms." — from a 2014 interview with City & State
• "[On returning to acting] It's all about timing, and it's all about the project and the people that would be involved in it. I've been blessed, you know, like I said, when you're on television on a hit show for nine years ['CSI: NY'], you can put some money away, and I've been able to use that money for good, and you know, now I can kind of be selective about what I'm doing in life." — via MovieGuide