The brilliant, Tony Award winning Len Cariou joins us for this week’s round of cocktails. As an up-and-coming actor gaining prominence on Broadway in the late 60’s, Len quickly became a familiar face at Joe Allen Restaurant, as well as a close friend of the man, himself (spoiler; they were gym rats together!) We touched upon the highly impractical version of the restaurant portrayed in “Applause,” Len’s memories of collaborating with the great Hal Prince, and the unconventional way Stephen Sondheim served Len his very first helping of “A Little Priest.”
One of the theater world's most beloved talents, Len Cariou is a member of the Theatre Hall of Fame and a pre-eminent interpreter of the music of Stephen Sondheim. On Broadway, he has appeared in "Applause," for which he earned a Tony Award nomination and won the Theatre World Award; "A Little Night Music," for which he was also nominated for a Tony Award; "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," for which he won a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award; "Nightwatch;" "Cold Storage;" Teddy and Alice;" "Dance a Little Closer;" "The Speed of Darkness;" "The Dinner Party" and "Proof."
On television, Cariou has appeared on “Blue Bloods” as the the Reagan family’s patriarch, Henry for eleven seasons. Additionally, he can be seen on "Damages," "Brotherhood," "Murder, She Wrote," "CSI" and "Numb3rs", "Ed," "Law and Order," "The Outer Limits," "The Practice," "The West Wing," and many television films/limited series including “When They See Us” and "Into the Storm,” the latter for which he earned an Emmy Award nomination.
Cariou's feature film credits include "One Man," for which he received a Genie Award, "The Four Seasons," "Flags of our Fathers," "1408," "Executive Decision," "Lady in White," "Thirteen Days," "About Schmidt," "Secret Window”, "The Boynton Beach Bereavement Club” and “Spotlight”. In addition, he supplied voice narration for the Academy Award-winning documentary, "The Johnstown Flood” and voiced Uncle Frank in “Bumblebee”.
Cariou was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and holds two honorary degrees as well as the Order of Canada and Order of Manitoba. He currently resides on the Hudson River's shore in New Jersey with wife Heather Summerhayes Cariou, author of Sixtyfive Roses: A Sister's Memoir.