Gary Sinise: Chicago 'feels like home'

"CSI: NY" is in its fifth year. How do you keep things fresh?
Each one of these episodes is different; we always have something different coming at us. The writers do a very good job of coming up with these story lines. We're in a groove now and I enjoy working with everybody on the show. It's a comfortable atmosphere; people get along. People appreciate having the job on a shows that's doing so well. Really, it's a pleasure going to work.
I've done other types of things that are probably more challenging from an acting point of view, but I enjoy playing this character and I like the guy. I'm going to enjoy it while it's here and when it's gone, I'll move onto something else.

What do you like about Mac Taylor?
I've played a lot of people with a lot of different quirks and some villains and some people with far less moral integrity. One of the things I like about this guy is that he's so honest, so straightforward. He really has a high level of integrity and moral character. He's a good person. He comes from a military background ... He's got a very straight-up, no-nonsense way of doing things and he expects a lot out of the people who work for him. I like that about him.

William Petersen (left) has left "CSI" and is now with Steppenwolf Theater Company in Chicago. Has his leaving "CSI" giving you any ideas about moving on?
Why would I want to leave? No, he did that show for nine years and he's probably got everything he can possibly get out of it except more money. Billy has other things he wants to do; he just joined Steppenwolf Theater.
We've known each other for quite some time and he's known many of the people at Steppenwolf for years; we've worked together over the years. He's got some things he wants to do on the creative side he's going to do.
You know, I think nine years is a long time to be on a show.

Are you able to come back to Steppenwolf now and again?
Now that I'm on television it's really impossible to do anything. But I'm still involved.

You filmed "CSI: NY" in Chicago a few years back. What did you like most about coming back and filming here?
Well, I wish I had actually more to do; we were only there one day. Since I've been doing movies I've longed for one that I actually went and shot in Chicago. My character on the show is from Chicago so we choreographed a day there. But it was too short.
I loved being there; I loved the city. A lot about it still feels like home. I hope that maybe in the future there will be something I do there that will last more than a day.

If there was ever a "CSI: Chicago" would Mac want to transfer back home?
[Laughs.] Well, you never know, you never know. Would I want to move back to Chicago and live there? No. My life is out here now in Los Angeles but I have deep roots in Chicago. Who knows? If they asked me if I wanted to do a Chicago show, I don't know what I'd say?

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "Forrest Gump" have some similarities. How do you compare the sea captain in Button to your "Gump" character, Lt. Dan?
[Laughs.] I don't know. They're two different types of characters with two different types of backgrounds. Lt. Dan had his own journey that he was going on and his was a very, very specific part of the storyline of "Forrest Gump." Seems like "Benjamin Button," that was one single moment for that movie but it wasn't a storyline where that particular character played as integral a part in the movie as Lt. Dan did.

Are you still playing in the Lt. Dan Band?
Oh yeah. Next time we'll be in Chicago will be April 17 at Joe's Bar. And then will be on April 18 we play the Steppenwolf Gala and then will be back in the summer at Cantigny Park for the Operation Support Our Troops Illinois concert on the 18th of July.

You've had a long-lasting love of music, right?
I had my first guitar in fourth grade and played in bands all the way up to my 20s.
When I started Steppenwolf I was trying to play some music and do the theater at the same time then the theater just kind of took over. I was very dedicated to building the company and to what we were doing there. So I stopped playing music and about 11 or 12 years ago I teamed up with a pal of mine in Chicago, Kimo Williams, and we formed the band.
Ever since we've been playing 30 or 40 concerts a year--many of them for our military and for USO and various charities. We do the occasional corporate gig and the occasional club date. Joe's Bar is some place we've played about 5 or 6 times now, it seems.

What's coming up on the new episodes on CBS?
Well, you know, we got this marathon on Spike TV, that's the thing.

Fair enough.
There's a whole lot from the past. We've done over 100 episodes now and you know, it's kind of interesting for people who have just recently discovered our show to go back and look at these episodes and see where the show has come from and where we stared and how far we've traveled in the five years we've been doing it.

Between you and Vince Vaughn, who is the coolest suburban alum?
[Laughs.] Well, Vince is certainly the funniest.

So that leaves the door open for you to be the coolest, huh?
Well ... [laughs.] I'll give Vince kudos. I'm, a big fan of his