Entertainment

Gary Sinise Proves Once Again He’s One Of The Good Guys After Helping Vet Land Gig

Katie Jerkovich Entertainment Reporter
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Gary Sinise proved once again he’s one of the best guys in Hollywood after he helped Navy Seal veteran Jason Redman land his first professional acting gig.

Redman, who was severely wounded during his time in Iraq in 2007, is a highly decorated special ops vet and the winner of the American History Channel’s 2017 Red Bandanna Award. He will appear this Friday on the CBS series “Hawaii Five-O” after one of the show’s executive producers, Peter Lenkov, reached out to Sinise because they were looking for a real veteran for the part, according to People magazine. (RELATED: Actor Gary Sinise honors the troops [VIDEO])

Picture by: Tony DiMaio / Splash News

Picture by: Tony DiMaio / Splash News

“He [Lenkov] contacted me saying he was looking for a veteran for a part,” the 62-year-old “Forrest Gump” star shared, adding that they wanted one with a scar on his face.

“Jay [Redman] popped into my mind immediately,” he added. “Jay was wounded in Iraq when he was shot in the face and he had done a little bit of filming before. Jay is a good buddy and somebody I admire very much.”

Redman said he jumped at the chance when Sinise reached out to him

“I said, ‘Well, yeah!” Redman explained.

Sinise, probably best known for his role as Lt. Dan Taylor in “Forrest Gump,” spends his time touring bases across the world and performing with the Lt. Dan Band for military personnel serving overseas. He also visits hospitals for wounded veterans and participates in the RISE organization that helps to rebuild homes for wounded warriors through his foundation, the Gary Sinise Foundation that is dedicated to helping veterans.

The two met through Redman’s work with the foundation when he became a member of its Ambassador’s Council five years ago. A position that allowed him to fill in at public appearances for Sinise when he was unable to do so.

The wounded veteran is a married father of three who created his own non-profit organization to help veterans called the Combat Wounded Coalition. He spent almost two years recovering from 37 surgeries and months of rehabilitation from the injuries he sustained while tracking a “high value” al Qaeda target.

Redman makes his debut this Friday at 9pm on CBS.