#2579 - Gary Sinise
Episode of The Joe Rogan Experience · November 10, 2026 · 2 h 16 min
Actor Gary Sinise tells Joe Rogan about supporting veterans, USO tours in Iraq, founding Steppenwolf Theatre, and losing his son, chronicled in Graceful Warrior.
Summary
Actor Gary Sinise joined Joe Rogan to discuss his decades of work with the military and first responders, which he traced to his wife's brothers' experiences returning from Vietnam and to playing Lieutenant Dan in Forrest Gump. Sinise argued that Forrest Gump was the first film to give a Vietnam veteran a happy ending, and both men discussed how poorly veterans are helped to reintegrate into civilian life. They criticized the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, with Rogan calling the abandonment of equipment and Afghan allies one of the worst decisions he had seen.
Sinise recounted his 2003 USO tours to Iraq, including visits to Saddam Hussein's palaces, the Victory Over America Palace and a Flintstones-themed village, and the founding of Operation Iraqi Children, a school supply program. He complained that news coverage omitted positive stories, recalling a reporter telling him that bad news sells. The conversation turned to his visits to the Korean DMZ, which led Rogan to discussions of North Korean oppression, communism, and Robert Sapolsky's determinism, which both men rejected as absolute.
Sinise described starting Steppenwolf Theatre Company at 18 after a teacher recruited him for a high school production of West Side Story, his role on CSI: NY, and Gary Sinise Foundation programs such as Soaring Valor and Snowball Express. Rogan raised ibogaine therapy for veterans and cited a Brown University Costs of War estimate that post-9/11 veteran suicides outnumber combat deaths roughly four to one. Sinise closed by discussing his new book Graceful Warrior, about his son Mac's death from chordoma in January 2024 and the posthumous albums of Mac's music.
Chapters
- 0:03
Introductions and Tom Hanks films
Rogan greets Sinise, who recalls making Forrest Gump, Apollo 13 and The Green Mile with Tom Hanks.
- 1:41
Origins of veteran advocacy
Sinise describes his first memoir Grateful American and how Vietnam veterans in his wife's family and the September 11 attacks drove his commitment to service members.
- 8:56
Vietnam films and reintegration struggles
The two discuss Rogan's Vietnam veteran teacher, Vietnam war films, Lieutenant Dan's arc, and the lack of support for returning veterans.
- 22:46
Afghanistan withdrawal
Rogan and Sinise criticize the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, the abandoned equipment and the Afghan allies left behind.
- 28:48
USO tours and Operation Iraqi Children
Sinise recounts 2003 USO tours in Iraq, the school supply program he founded, and media coverage that ignored positive stories.
- 48:07
Inside Saddam Hussein's palaces
Sinise describes Baghdad, Saddam's palaces, the Flintstone village and the atrocities of Uday and Qusay Hussein.
- 57:47
Korean DMZ, North Korea and determinism
Sinise recalls standing at the DMZ, prompting discussion of North Korean oppression, communism and Robert Sapolsky's determinism.
- 1:10:50
Capture of Saddam and the role of the military
They review footage of Saddam's capture and discuss the dangers of the wider world and the need for a military.
- 1:17:35
Hollywood and CSI: NY
Sinise says he never faced pushback in Hollywood for supporting troops and describes making his CSI: NY character a Beirut veteran.
- 1:24:15
Steppenwolf and West Side Story
Sinise tells how a drama teacher recruited him for West Side Story, leading to the founding of Steppenwolf Theatre Company.
- 1:37:13
Young service members and foundation programs
Sinise praises military academy students, describes the Soaring Valor program and a 19-year-old steering an aircraft carrier.
- 1:48:36
Ibogaine, veteran suicide and Snowball Express
Rogan discusses ibogaine advocacy, Sinise stresses peer support, describes Snowball Express, and Rogan cites veteran suicide statistics.
- 1:59:18
Graceful Warrior
Sinise discusses his son Mac's battle with chordoma, his posthumous albums, and the new memoir about the family's grief.
Key points
What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.
- Gary Sinise
Sinise argues that Americans must protect those who serve, since without volunteers a draft would be required as in Vietnam.
“We should protect and defend our defenders. Look at what they do for us”
- Gary Sinise
Sinise argues that Forrest Gump was the first film to portray a Vietnam veteran with a happy ending.
“Forrest Gump was the first time that a story about a Vietnam veteran was a happy ending story”
- Joe Rogan
Rogan says he was astounded by how little help veterans receive when reentering civilian society.
“the thing that astounded me the most is how little help they get in re-emerging or re-entering into society”
- Gary Sinise
Sinise says mental wellness is a major focus of his foundation, which proactively reaches out to service members.
“Mental wellness is a big part of what we do at the Gary Sinise Foundation”
- Gary Sinise
Sinise says the U.S. handed Afghanistan back to the Taliban along with $80 billion of military equipment, leaving veterans questioning their sacrifice.
“And we give it back to the Taliban along with $80 billion of hardware, American military equipment”
Listen from 22:54 · 2021 United States withdrawal from Afghanistan
- Joe Rogan
Rogan calls the decision to leave equipment behind during the Afghanistan withdrawal one of the stupidest he has seen.
“one of the stupidest fucking decisions I think I've ever seen to just leave all that stuff there”
Listen from 23:24 · 2021 United States withdrawal from Afghanistan
- Gary Sinise
Sinise recounts that news coverage of a supply convoy attack omitted that the convoy had been delivering school supplies.
“The gunfight was on the news that night and the whole purpose for the convoy never made it to the nightly news”
- Gary Sinise
Sinise says a national news reporter told him positive stories from Iraq weren't reported because bad news sells.
“I said, why aren't you reporting any of these good things that are happening? He was very honest with me. Bad news sells”
- Gary Sinise
Sinise recounts that the USO only returned his calls once he identified himself as the actor who played Lieutenant Dan.
“Hi, this is Gary Sinise. I'm the guy who played Lieutenant Dan in Forrest Gump. I'd like to do a tour. And then they called me back”
- Gary Sinise
Sinise says Saddam Hussein diverted so much water to his palace grounds that local farmers lacked water for crops.
“There was so much water around his palace that some of these farmers out there didn't have any water”
- Gary Sinise
Sinise describes the DMZ as a stark line between free South Korean soldiers and North Korean soldiers he regards as slaves.
“they're free over here. These guys behind me are free. And these guys over here, they're slaves”
- Joe Rogan
Rogan argues that North Korea's informant culture and impoverishment illustrate where communism leads.
“No one has any power. No one has any money. Communism, folks. That's what it really boils down to”
- Joe Rogan
Rogan says that while upbringing matters, he rejects treating determinism versus free will as a binary.
“I think the idea of making that a binary distinction, that's one or zero, I don't think that's”
- Gary Sinise
Sinise says he never felt the Hollywood community turned its back on him for supporting the troops during the Bush years.
“I don't recall ever feeling like the community turned its back on me or anything”
- Gary Sinise
Sinise says he shaped his CSI: NY character as a Marine veteran of the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing.
“My detective on that show, Mac Taylor, was a Marine and he was a Beirut veteran”
- Gary Sinise
Sinise credits a chance encounter with a drama teacher, which he attributes to God, for launching his acting career.
“God put me in that hallway at the right time, and that teacher walked by, told me to audition for the play, and I ended up making a living at it”
- Gary Sinise
Sinise recounts learning Grateful American had reached number three on the New York Times bestseller list while dining with his former drama teacher.
“the call comes in that Grateful American hit the New York Times bestseller list at number three”
Linked moment · 1:48:36Skip to 1:48:36 using a listen link in the info box.
Joe RoganRogan says he went to the White House to urge Donald Trump to support the ibogaine initiative for veterans.
“this is one of the things that I went to the White House to talk to Trump about, about pushing it through”
- Gary Sinise
Sinise argues that peer-to-peer support among battle buddies is key to combating veteran suicide.
“I think it's up to peer-to-peer support. We have – you have battle buddies in the war that you're close with”
- Joe Rogan
Rogan cites an estimate that post-9/11 suicides among service members and veterans far exceed combat deaths.
“30,177 deaths by suicide among post-911 service members and veterans versus 7,057 U.S. military deaths in post-911 war operations”
- Gary Sinise
Sinise describes metastatic chordoma, which killed his son, as extremely rare.
“Maybe only 90 people per year are diagnosed with metastatic chordoma”
- Gary Sinise
Sinise says Graceful Warrior is less about cancer than about hope and perseverance.
“it's not a book about cancer in as much as it's a purse about hope and courage”
People
In the conversation
- Joe RoganAmerican comedian and host of The Joe Rogan Experience
- Gary SiniseAmerican actor, musician, author and founder of the Gary Sinise Foundation
Discussed
- Mac SiniseGary Sinise's son, a musician who died of chordoma in January 2024
- Tom HanksAmerican actor, director and producer
- Saddam HusseinFormer Iraqi leader deposed in the 2003 U.S. invasion
- Uday HusseinSon of Saddam Hussein killed in a 2003 raid involving military working dogs
- Tommy FranksU.S. Army general and CENTCOM commander during the Afghanistan and Iraq invasions
- Kid RockMusician whose shooting of Bud Light cans Rogan credited with ending woke culture
- Robert De NiroAmerican actor cited by Stallone as someone who cannot stop performing
- John StamosActor who watched Anwar's late set with his back turned
- Scott MannRetired Green Beret lieutenant colonel involved in Operation Pineapple Express evacuations
- Evan HaferFounder of Black Rifle Coffee Company and friend of Rogan
- Yeonmi ParkNorth Korean defector and former Rogan guest
- Robert SapolskyStanford neuroscientist cited as a pioneer of public science education
- Marcus LuttrellNavy SEAL whose book about Operation Red Wings Blaber criticizes
- Muammar GaddafiFormer ruler of Libya
- Jeff PerryCo-founder of Steppenwolf Theatre Company
- Terry KinneyCo-founder of Steppenwolf Theatre Company
- John MalkovichAmerican actor starring in Wild Horse Nine
Topics
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From the publisher
Gary Sinise is an Academy Award-nominated actor, musician, director, author, and philanthropist. His new book, "Graceful Warrior," is available now.www.nelsonbooks.com/books/graceful-warrior/www.youtube.com/@GarySiniseFoundationwww.garysinisefoundation.orgwww.garysinise.com Perplexity: Download the app or ask Perplexity anything at https://pplx.ai/rogan. Don’t miss out on all the action this week at DraftKings! Download the DraftKings app today! Sign-up using https://dkng.co/rogan or through my promo code ROGAN. Download Uber Eats and order now. https://ubereats.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on November 11, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.