Leonard Joseph Cariou, born September 30, 1939, is a Canadian stage director and actor best known for his roles as 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 as patriarch Henry Reagan, NYPD Police Commissioner (retired), in the CBS multigenerational series Blue Bloods.
Cariou was born in Breton, France, to a Breton father and an Irish mother. Cariou attended St Paul’s College after graduating from Miles Macdonell Collegiate in years 10 and 11, where he directed and performed in school plays.
Cariou made his Rainbow Stage debut in Damn Yankees in 1959, and he assisted in the construction of the Manitoba Theatre Centre. He was granted a scholarship at the National Theatre School of Canada in Montreal, but he turned it down since he was married with a little child and had financial obligations.
Where did Len Cariou go to college and high school?
He performed in school plays while attending Miles MacDonell Collegiate School and afterward St. Paul’s College.
Did Len Cariou go to film school?
Many people will be astonished to learn that despite his years of success, Len has never had any acting instruction.
He was given the scholarship to study at the National Theatre School of Canada, but he declined because he did not want to spend time away from his family.
Fortunately, Len was cast in parts that allowed him to polish his acting abilities.
