Gary Sinise Quotes

I had grand visions of being in professional sports. But when reality set in, I went, 'Oh, OK. I'll just move to Hollywood and be an actor.' I didn't want to look back on my life and wonder, 'What if I had done this? Or I had done that?'

I had always fancied a go at the comedy and when it started to go reasonably well and the opportunity arose for me to move into it full time, I just couldn't turn it down. I just took the risk, and I just wanted to see if it would work and thankfully it did.

Acting is something that I always wanted, but I never paid attention to the notion that it might actually work out. You have all sorts of ideas about what you want to do - at one stage, I wanted to be a jockey - but this is the one that's a big deal.

You don't really do much in life unless you take risks, push yourself and find your passion.

You need to recognize that the risk of moving toward your dreams is much lower than the slow, everyday punishment you inflict on yourself by suppressing your dream

My father could have been a great comedian, but he didn't believe that that was possible for him, and so he made a conservative choice. Instead, he got a safe job as an accountant. When I was 12 years old, he was let go from that safe job, and our family had to do whatever we could to survive. I learned many great lessons from my father, not the least of which was that you can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.

I never thought about what people would say about me. I was just a young guy who was excited to become a comedian and an actor, and I just wanted to get to do what I got to do.

My view is that you have to take risks. Not everything is going to work out, but it's sort of the fun of fashion, right?

I decided I should go after the roles I like, that I am inspired by, and then, if I am having a good time, chances are that people will like watching you.

I always wanted to be a doctor and go to art school, but I thought I'd regret it if I didn't act.

I guess the bigger you dream, the further you have to fall if you don't get it, so it can be a bit of a scary thing to be that ambitious.

I just made the decision that I was going to try comedy, and if didn't work, then I knew it didn't work. Then I would go back and do whatever. But at least I wouldn't torture myself the rest of my life, wondering whatever would have happened.

I don't think I ever take huge risks, though I'm not scared of doing so.

If something excites you, go for it.

I'm not auditioning to play convenience-store clerks. I don't see any benefit in that.

I would hate to look back on my life and go, 'You know, I wanted to do a rock n' roll album. I should have, and I never did.'

Some people revel in taking risks, and some go through life taking no risks at all.

My career was always full of risks one way or another, and that's the way I like it.

My mother was asked to be a model when she was younger, but my father had not let her, so she was quite keen on me becoming a model. I just went off without telling my dad. I took off to Paris and never came back, but when I became a success and started making money, he was very proud of me.

I missed so many opportunities along the way to do what I wanted to do because I didn't have the confidence to tell myself, much less anybody else, 'Yes, this is the business I wanted to be a part of'.

If I'd said, 'I'm going to be a director,' it probably wouldn't have happened.

To do the things that I did, I'm amazed that I had the audacity - like resigning from the Army and becoming a janitor and a songwriter.

The whole impetus behind going solo was an artistic inspiration in the sense that, obviously, success is fantastic. But as one becomes successful and gets branded with a certain sound, if the brand starts to become more of the focus than the evolution of the art, then that's putting the cart before the horse.

There's been certain opportunities that have arisen that would have been financially quite advantageous but, creatively, would have steered me away from my career plan.

I'm not in a 'starry' position to be able to pick and choose, but I am interested in telling stories of substance with great directors - that's my only guiding principle.