Gary Sinise

You learn from things that don't go well, and you try to capitalize when they do. You build on those strengths and try to make your weaknesses stronger. ”

Well, I've been to Iraq twice now. I was in Baghdad in June and then north of Baghdad in November. ”

There's always the ongoing actor frustration of finding the great role to do next. I don't go to work a lot. I wait as long as I can until the money runs out or a great part comes along. ”

If you're missing three or four limbs, you have special challenges going forward. And the last thing you want is to not be independent in your home. ”

The wonderful drama teacher at my high school, Barbara Patterson, saw me standing in the hall and told me I should audition for 'West Side Story.' I guess she thought I looked like a gang member. ”

I have veterans in my family. But I didn't know anything about DAV, Disabled American Veterans. ”

I can honestly say that I've done everything I've wanted to do, always. Not without difficulty. But every time I wanted to do something, I just did it, from the age of 18 when I started my own theater with my friends. When I decided I wanted to act. I just bit the bullet. ”

Careers, like rockets, don't always take off on time. The trick is to always keep the engine running. ”

I do spend a lot of weekends on the road. I have to pace myself. It can be pretty busy, but I'm not out in the Afghan desert with 70 pounds on my back, away from my family for a year at a time. I keep a good perspective on it. ”

I've worked with a lot of really fine actors, both on stage and on screen. The level of their game lifts me up and brings the level of my game up to theirs. Always. It's like a constant upgrade. ”