Len Cariou Biography

Len Cariou born Leonard Joseph Cariou OC OM  is a Canadian actor and stage director, best known for his portrayal of Sweeney Todd in the original cast of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, for which he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical, and for playing the patriarch Henry Reagan, NYPD Police Commissioner (retired), in the multi-generational television series Blue Bloods on CBS.

Len Cariou Age

Len is 82 years old as of 2021. He was born on 30 September 1939, in Saint Boniface, Winnipeg, Canada. He celebrates his birthday every 30 of September every year.

Len Cariou Height and Weight

Len stands at an average height of 1.75 meters and weighs 82 kilograms. He has white hair and brown eyes. His other body measurements are not available.

Len Cariou Education

Cariou attended Miles Macdonell Collegiate for grades 10 and 11 where he directed and starred in the school plays, and he later attended St Paul’s College.

Len Cariou Family, Parents, and Siblings

Len was born and raised in Saint Boniface, Canada. Born in St. Boniface, today a city ward of Winnipeg, and later moving to East Kildonan, Manitoba, Cariou is the son of Molly Estelle (née Moore) and George Marius Cariou, a salesman. His father was Breton and his mother was of Irish descent.

Len Cariou Wife and Children

Len is happily married to Heather Summerhayes. They tied the knot on October 25th, 1986. His wife is an award-winning actress, ballerina, author, and ethnographer. She has appeared in films such as The Wars (1983) and Another Day Gone (2015). For Len, it is not his first marriage as he was previously married twice. He was married to Susan Kapilow from 1975 to 1978. His other ex-wife is Patricia Otter with whom he sired his only daughter.

Cariou is a proud parent of one. He shares a daughter from his previous marriage to Patricia Otter. His daughter is called Laurel Cariou.

Len Cariou Salary

Details pertaining to his annual earnings are currently unavailable. This information is however currently under review and will soon be updated.

Len Cariou Net Worth

Len has an estimated net worth of $4 million dollars as of 2020. This includes his assets, money, and income. His primary source of income is his career as an actor and stage director. Through his various sources of income, he has been able to accumulate good fortune but prefers to lead a modest lifestyle.

Len Cariou Measurements and Facts

Here are some interesting facts and body measurements you should know about Len.

Len Cariou Wiki

• Full Names: Leonard Joseph Cariou
• Popular As: Len Cariou
• Gender: Male
• Occupation / Profession: Actor
• Nationality: Canadian
• Race / Ethnicity: White
• Religion: Not Known
• Sexual Orientation: Straight

Len Cariou Birthday

• Age / How Old?: 82 years old as of 2021
• Zodiac Sign: Libra
• Date of Birth: September 30, 1939
  
• Place of Birth: St. Boniface, Manitoba, Canada
• Birthday: September 30

Len Cariou Body Measurements

• Body Measurements:  Not Available
• Height / How Tall?: Not Known
• Weight:  Not Known
• Eye Color: Not Available
• Hair Color:  Not Available
• Shoe Size:  Not Available
• Dress Size: Not Available
• Breast Size: Not Available
• Waist Size:  Not Available
• Hip Size: Not Available

Len Cariou Family and Relationship

• Father (Dad): George Marius Cariou
• Mother: Molly Estelle Cariou
• Siblings (Brothers and Sisters): Not Known
• Marital Status: Married
• Dating / Wife: Heather Summerhayes
• Children: Laurel Cariou

Len Cariou Net Worth and Salary

• Net Worth: $4 million
• Salary: Under Review
• Source of Income: Actor and stage director

Len Cariou Career

Cariou made his first appearance in Damn Yankees at Rainbow Stage in Winnipeg in 1959 and was a founding member of the Manitoba Theatre Centre. He was offered a scholarship at the National Theatre School of Canada in Montreal but, married with a young child and financial responsibilities, he was forced to decline the honor. Instead, he learned his craft by spending two years at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival Stratford, Ontario, and returned in 1981 to lead the company as Prospero, Coriolanus, Brutus, and Petruchio.

Cariou also became a lead actor at the Tyrone Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis in the 1960s, where he played Orlando in As You Like It, Agamemnon in Tyrone Guthrie’s compilation of The House of Atreus, Iago, Oberon, and the title roles in Henry V, “Oedipus the King,” and King Lear. He also was an associate director.

Broadway

In 1968, Cariou made his Broadway debut in The House of Atreus. Two years later, Cariou landed his first starring role opposite Lauren Bacall in Applause, a musical adaptation of the film All About Eve. It earned him a Tony Award nomination as Best Actor in a Musical and won him the Theatre World Award.

In 1973 he garnered his second Tony nod for A Little Night Music; he reprised the role of Fredrik for the 1977 film version opposite Elizabeth Taylor. Six years later he won both the Tony and a Drama Desk Award for his portrayal of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in the Stephen Sondheim musical opposite Angela Lansbury.

During these years, Cariou also appeared in a number of benefits, including A Christmas Carol for the Riverside Shakespeare Company in New York, playing Scrooge, with Helen Hayes, Raul Julia, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, directed by W. Stuart McDowell at the Symphony Space in 1985.

His next projects included the Alan Jay Lerner–Charles Strouse musical Dance a Little Closer (1983), Arthur Miller’s sole musical, Up from Paradise (1983), Teddy & Alice (1987), and Ziegfeld (1988). Cariou also appeared on Broadway in Night Watch, Cold Storage, The Speed of Darkness, Neil Simon’s The Dinner Party (with Henry Winkler and John Ritter), and Proof (with Anne Heche and Neil Patrick Harris).

He directed Don’t Call Back on Broadway as well. His off-Broadway appearances include Master Class, Papa (an Ernest Hemingway one-man show), and Mountain (Justice William O. Douglas). He appeared as Cap’n Andy in the Broadway national tour of Show Boat opposite Cloris Leachman.

Regional theatre

Regionally, Cariou has starred in myriad productions at theatres throughout North America, including The Kennedy Centre, the Mark Taper Forum, Lincoln Centre, the Long Wharf Theatre, and the Old Globe. He has played the title role of Macbeth for Toronto Arts Productions, and Richard Nixon in Frost/Nixon for Canadian Stage in Toronto.

He has appeared multiple times throughout his career at the Manitoba Theatre Centre. In 1984, having directed “Death of a Salesman” at the Citadel Theater, Edmonton, he played the lead in “King Lear” and was appointed associate director. In 1985 he played Stalin there in David Pownall’s “Master Class”. Cariou appeared at The Geffen Theatre as Joe Keller in a notable production of All My Sons, a role he reprised in 2009 at the Gate Theatre in Dublin, where it was the longest-running, highest-grossing run of a play in that theatre’s history. He also appeared at The Geffen in Neil Simon’s Rose and Walsh and Heroes with George Segal.

Television

From 1985 to 1992, Cariou was seen on multiple episodes of the popular television mystery series Murder, She Wrote with his friend and former Sweeney Todd co-star Angela Lansbury. Cariou portrayed the recurring character of Michael Hagarty, characterized as an Irish international man of mystery who worked as a secret agent for British MI-6. He would get Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury), the title character of the show, involved in mysteries involving international intrigue.

In 1993, Cariou was in the TV movie Miracle on Interstate 880. He played Buck Helm. He also guest-starred in an episode of North of 60 when he portrayed Sarah Birkett’s estranged father. In 1995, Cariou became the first actor to portray Walt Disney in the Annette Funicello biography A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes: The Annette Funicello Story, based on her book of the same name.

In 1997, Cariou appeared in the Star Trek: Voyager episode “Coda”. He appeared to Captain Kathryn Janeway as an alien disguised as Admiral Janeway, her deceased father.

In 2010, Cariou appeared as Madoff-like Ponzi scheme man Louis Tobin in the drama Damages, the main antagonist in season three. Cariou has appeared in episodes of The West Wing, Law & Order, The Practice, and The Outer Limits. He had a continuing role in 2006–2007 as power broker Judd Fitzgerald in the series Brotherhood.

He currently appears as Henry Reagan, the former New York City Police Commissioner and patriarch of the current commissioner’s family on Blue Bloods.

Film

Cariou’s film credits include One Man, Flags of Our Fathers, About Schmidt, Thirteen Days, The Four Seasons, the Harold Prince-directed screen adaptation of A Little Night Music with Elizabeth Taylor, and Secret Window in which he starred alongside Johnny Depp, who would later go on to play Sweeney Todd in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, the Tim Burton-directed musical based on the Broadway show in which Cariou starred. He played the father in the 2007 film 1408, and the nominal lead role in The Onion Movie, based on the satirical newspaper. In 2018 he starred alongside Bruce Willis in Death Wish as Dr. Paul Kersey’s father-in-law.

Cariou narrated Major League Baseball’s World Series films from 1992 to 1997. In addition, he was the narrator of “An Amazin’ Era”, a video commemorating the 25th anniversary of the New York Mets franchise. He narrated both the original 1986 version and an update that was produced in 1989. He has recorded a number of books, including several by Michael Connelly, for audiotape release. He also narrated the 1989 Academy Award-winning documentary The Johnstown Flood. In 2009, Cariou portrayed Franklin D. Roosevelt in the HBO movie Into the Storm, earning an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie. He played an American naval officer in 2013’s den Orolige Mannen (The Troubled Man), adapted from one of Henning Mankell’s Kurt Wallander novels.

More recently, Cariou portrayed Cardinal Law in Spotlight, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture of 2015. He also starred in the short play Happy Birthday, Mr. Abernathy by Lloyd Suh for a public radio show and podcast, Playing On Air.

Len Cariou Awards

On Broadway, Cariou has earned three Tony nominations for ‘Best Actor in a Musical’ in 1970 for “Applause”, in 1973 for “A Little Night Music”, and in 1979 for “Sweeney Todd”. He won the Tony for Best Performance By A Leading Actor in a Musical for his performance in Sweeney Todd.

In 2004, Cariou was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame.

In 2009, Cariou portrayed Franklin D. Roosevelt in the HBO movie Into the Storm, earning an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie.

On June 23, 2012, Cariou was honored by having his name added to the Miles Macdonell Collegiate Alumni of Distinction, for his contribution to theater and arts. His introduction to the theater started with a starring role in the school production of The Pirates of Penzance. He holds the Order of Manitoba and has been invested with honorary degrees from the University of Windsor and the University of Winnipeg.

On December 27, 2018, Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada, announced that Cariou would be one of 103 recipients becoming an Officer of the Order of Canada for his achievements as an actor on stage and screen, and for his commitment to Canadian cultural institutions.

Frequently Asked Questions About Len Cariou

Who is Len?

Leonard Joseph Cariou OC OM  is a Canadian actor and stage director, best known for his portrayal of Sweeney Todd in the original cast of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, for which he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical, and for playing the patriarch Henry Reagan, NYPD Police Commissioner (retired), in the multi-generational television series Blue Bloods on CBS.

How old is Len?

Len is 82 years old as of 2021. He was born on 30 September 1939, in Saint Boniface, Winnipeg, Canada. He celebrates his birthday every 30 of September every year.

How tall is Len?

Len stands at an average height of 1.75 meters and weighs 82 kilograms. He has white hair and brown eyes. His other body measurements are not available.

Is Len married?

Len is happily married to Heather Summerhayes. They tied the knot on October 25th, 1986. His wife is an award-winning actress, ballerina, author, and ethnographer. She has appeared in films such as The Wars (1983) and Another Day Gone (2015). For Len, it is not his first marriage as he was previously married twice. He was married to Susan Kapilow from 1975 to 1978. His other ex-wife is Patricia Otter with whom he sired his only daughter.

How much is Len worth?

Len has an estimated net worth of $4 million dollars as of 2020. This includes his assets, money, and income. His primary source of income is his career as an actor and stage director. Through his various sources of income, he has been able to accumulate good fortune but prefers to lead a modest lifestyle.

How much does Len make?

Details pertaining to his annual earnings are currently unavailable. This information is however currently under review and will soon be updated.

Where does Len live?

Because of security reasons, Len has not shared his precise location of residence. We will update this information if we get the location and images of his house.

Is Len dead or alive?

Len is alive and in good health. There have been no reports of him being sick or having any health-related issues.

Where is Len Now?

To get his latest updates, visit his official social media accounts listed below.

Len Cariou Contacts

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• Twitter
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