Terry Kinney, a renowned stage, film, and television actor, hails from Lincoln, Illinois, and attended Illinois State University. During his university days, his friend, aspiring actor Jeff Perry, introduced him to the world of Chicago theater by taking him to see a production of "Grease" featuring his best friend, Gary Sinise. The trio's shared passion for the performing arts led them to establish the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 1973, in the basement of a church in Highland Park, Illinois.
As the company evolved, Kinney and Perry joined Steppenwolf full-time after graduating from college in 1976. Under their guidance, the theater began to flourish, producing a full season of ensemble works and eventually becoming one of the country's leading regional theatrical companies.
The founders of Steppenwolf supported themselves and the theater with odd jobs until the company became financially self-sufficient in the early 1980s. A move to the old St. Nicholas Theater marked a new era for the company, with productions attracting a steady audience. Steppenwolf's artistic and financial success continued throughout the 1980s, culminating in a permanent home at 1650 N. Halsted Street in Chicago.
At the height of the company's fame, Kinney and Sinise served as artistic co-directors, earning numerous awards and even transferring some productions, including their acclaimed adaptation of John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath", to Broadway. The company boasted an impressive roster of talented actors, including John Malkovich, Joan Allen, and John Mahoney. As an actor, Kinney received a Tony Award nomination for his portrayal of "Reverend Casy" in "Grapes of Wrath".
Kinney made his film debut in 1985 with a small role in Seven Minutes in Heaven (1986) and has since become a sought-after supporting actor. On television, he had a recurring role on Thirtysomething (1987) and appeared as a regular on the HBO prison drama Oz (1997).
