Barrett Foa
Encyclopedia
Barrett Foa is an American
actor. He portrays Eric Beale on the CBS
television series NCIS: Los Angeles.
; at the age of three he put together a puzzle in record time
, gaining him entry to the Dalton School
. He spent all his remaining school years there. While in high school at Dalton, Foa spent all four summers at the Interlochen Arts Camp
in upstate Michigan
, pursuing his interest in live theater.
He continued his theatrical studies at the University of Michigan
, graduating with honors and earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theatre performance. Foa also spent a semester around the world studying Shakespeare and acting at RADA in London
. During the beginning of each summer in college, Foa interned at Johnson-Liff Casting. He also spent time in a number of summer stock theater groups, including the New London Barn Playhouse, Maine State Music Theater, Music Theater of Wichita and the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera
.
revival of Godspell
. He went on to act in many other productions, and made his Broadway debut in 2001 in the original cast of Mamma Mia!
After six months with the show, Foa left to accept a three-month job at TheatreWorks in Palo Alto, California
, where he created the lead role in a new musical called Kept with music by Henry Kreiger and lyrics by Bill Russell.
After playing Matt in The Fantasticks
at the St. Louis Muny, Foa was picked to play Claudio in a dual production of Much Ado About Nothing
at Hartford Stage
and The Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C.
He played Mordred
in Camelot
at Paper Mill Playhouse
in New Jersey
, and later was cast in the role of Cupid
in the four-person off-Broadway production of Cupid and Psyche in New York City.
While still performing as Cupid, Foa began the audition process for Broadway's Avenue Q
. After two months, five auditions, and a lot of puppet practice, he became an understudy to the roles of Princeton/Rod
in December 2003. After the show had run for about a year, Foa was promoted and began to perform the lead role on February 1, 2005. He continued in the lead role for a year and a half. While performing in Avenue Q, Foa was offered the role of Leaf Coneybear in the Broadway musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
. For two weeks he rehearsed for Spelling Bee during the day and performed Avenue Q in the evening. His stint as Leaf Coneybear lasted from July 11, 2006 until April 15, 2007.
He played his last performance as Frederic in Pirates! an updated version of The Pirates of Penzance
, on July 8, 2007, again, at the Paper Mill Playhouse. He played Karel in The Lady In Question, a play by and starring Charles Busch
from August 14, through September 2, 2007.
From March 13, 2008 until April 20, 2008, he played Eddie in The Drunken City at Playwrights Horizons
. He also played Tu-Ping in a workshop presenation of The Nightingale with music by Duncan Sheik and book and lyrics by Steven Sater at the New York Theatre Workshop directed by James Lapine
.
In May 2008, he played Jordy in a workshop of Giant, a new musical with music and lyrics by Michael John LaChiusa
and book by Sybille Pearson, based on the Edna Ferber
novel and the movie with Rock Hudson
, Elizabeth Taylor
and James Dean
.
In 2009, Foa was cast in a recurring role on the television series NCIS: Los Angeles as Eric Beale, a technical operator in the Office of Special Projects. In January 2010, the role was upgraded to series regular.
In the Winter of 2010 he appeared in the concert revue For The Record: John Hughes in Los Angeles, presented by ROCKLA for Show at Barre. It ran from November, 2010, to January, 2011. Also starring Tracie Thoms
, Von Smith
and Ty Taylor
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor. He portrays Eric Beale on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
television series NCIS: Los Angeles.
Early life
Foa was born in ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
; at the age of three he put together a puzzle in record time
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
, gaining him entry to the Dalton School
The Dalton School
The Dalton School, originally called the Children's University School, is a private university-preparatory school on New York City's Upper East Side and a member of both the New York Interschooland the Ivy Preparatory School League...
. He spent all his remaining school years there. While in high school at Dalton, Foa spent all four summers at the Interlochen Arts Camp
Interlochen Center for the Arts
Interlochen Center for the Arts is a privately owned, 1,200 acre arts education institution in Interlochen, Michigan, roughly 15 miles southwest of Traverse City...
in upstate Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, pursuing his interest in live theater.
He continued his theatrical studies at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, graduating with honors and earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theatre performance. Foa also spent a semester around the world studying Shakespeare and acting at RADA in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. During the beginning of each summer in college, Foa interned at Johnson-Liff Casting. He also spent time in a number of summer stock theater groups, including the New London Barn Playhouse, Maine State Music Theater, Music Theater of Wichita and the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera
Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera
Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera is a nonprofit professional theater company based in the Cultural District of Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA....
.
Career
After college, Foa landed his first major role, starring as Jesus in the off-BroadwayOff-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
revival of Godspell
Godspell
Godspell is a musical by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak. It opened off Broadway on May 17, 1971, and has played in various touring companies and revivals many times since, including a 2011 revival now playing on Broadway...
. He went on to act in many other productions, and made his Broadway debut in 2001 in the original cast of Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia! is a stage musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson, based on the songs of ABBA, composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, former members of the band. Although the title of the musical is taken from the group's 1975 chart-topper "Mamma Mia", the plot is fictional, not...
After six months with the show, Foa left to accept a three-month job at TheatreWorks in Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
, where he created the lead role in a new musical called Kept with music by Henry Kreiger and lyrics by Bill Russell.
After playing Matt in The Fantasticks
The Fantasticks
The Fantasticks is a 1960 musical with music by Harvey Schmidt and lyrics by Tom Jones. It was produced by Lore Noto. It tells an allegorical story, loosely based on the play "The Romancers" by Edmond Rostand, concerning two neighboring fathers who trick their children, Luisa and Matt, into...
at the St. Louis Muny, Foa was picked to play Claudio in a dual production of Much Ado About Nothing
Much Ado About Nothing
Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy written by William Shakespeare about two pairs of lovers, Benedick and Beatrice, and Claudio and Hero....
at Hartford Stage
Hartford Stage
Hartford Stage, located in Hartford, Connecticut, is one of the leading resident theatres in the United States, known internationally for entertaining and enlightening audiences with a wide range of the best of world drama, from classics to provocative new plays and musicals and neglected works...
and The Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
He played Mordred
Mordred
Mordred or Modred is a character in the Arthurian legend, known as a notorious traitor who fought King Arthur at the Battle of Camlann, where he was killed and Arthur fatally wounded. Tradition varies on his relationship to Arthur, but he is best known today as Arthur's illegitimate son by his...
in Camelot
Camelot (musical)
Camelot is a musical by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe . It is based on the King Arthur legend as adapted from the T. H. White tetralogy novel The Once and Future King....
at Paper Mill Playhouse
Paper Mill Playhouse
Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theatre with approximately 1200 seats, located in Millburn, New Jersey, less than 25 miles from Manhattan. Due to its location, it can draw from the pool of actors who live in New York City. Its location, as well as its focus on producing large-scale shows, makes...
in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, and later was cast in the role of Cupid
Cupid
In Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, affection and erotic love. He is the son of the goddess Venus and the god Mars. His Greek counterpart is Eros...
in the four-person off-Broadway production of Cupid and Psyche in New York City.
While still performing as Cupid, Foa began the audition process for Broadway's Avenue Q
Avenue Q
Avenue Q is a musical in two acts, conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who wrote the music and lyrics. The book was written by Jeff Whitty and the show was directed by Jason Moore and produced by Kevin McCollum, Robyn Goodman, and Jeffrey Seller...
. After two months, five auditions, and a lot of puppet practice, he became an understudy to the roles of Princeton/Rod
Rod (Avenue Q)
Rod is a puppet and fictional character from the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Avenue Q. He was originally played on Broadway by John Tartaglia and then Barrett Foa, and on the West End of London by Jon Robyns. On Broadway, Foa was replaced in 2006 by Howie Michael Smith...
in December 2003. After the show had run for about a year, Foa was promoted and began to perform the lead role on February 1, 2005. He continued in the lead role for a year and a half. While performing in Avenue Q, Foa was offered the role of Leaf Coneybear in the Broadway musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a one act musical comedy conceived by Rebecca Feldman with music and lyrics by William Finn, a book by Rachel Sheinkin and additional material by Jay Reiss. The show centers on a fictional spelling bee set in a geographically ambiguous Putnam Valley...
. For two weeks he rehearsed for Spelling Bee during the day and performed Avenue Q in the evening. His stint as Leaf Coneybear lasted from July 11, 2006 until April 15, 2007.
He played his last performance as Frederic in Pirates! an updated version of The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. The opera's official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 December 1879, where the show was well received by both audiences...
, on July 8, 2007, again, at the Paper Mill Playhouse. He played Karel in The Lady In Question, a play by and starring Charles Busch
Charles Busch
Charles Louis Busch is an American actor, screenwriter, playwright and female impersonator, known for his appearances on stage in his own camp style plays and in film and television. He wrote The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, which was a success on Broadway.-Early life:Busch was born in 1954 and...
from August 14, through September 2, 2007.
From March 13, 2008 until April 20, 2008, he played Eddie in The Drunken City at Playwrights Horizons
Playwrights Horizons
Playwrights Horizons is a not-for-profit Off-Broadway theater located in New York City dedicated to the support and development of contemporary American playwrights, composers, and lyricists, and to the production of their new work....
. He also played Tu-Ping in a workshop presenation of The Nightingale with music by Duncan Sheik and book and lyrics by Steven Sater at the New York Theatre Workshop directed by James Lapine
James Lapine
James Lapine is an American stage director and librettist. He has won the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical three times, for Into the Woods, Falsettos, and Passion. He has frequently collaborated with Stephen Sondheim and William Finn.-Biography:Lapine was born in Mansfield, Ohio and graduated...
.
In May 2008, he played Jordy in a workshop of Giant, a new musical with music and lyrics by Michael John LaChiusa
Michael John LaChiusa
Michael John LaChiusa is an American musical theatre and opera composer, lyricist, and librettist. He is best known for complex, musically challenging shows such as Hello Again, Marie Christine, The Wild Party, and See What I Wanna See...
and book by Sybille Pearson, based on the Edna Ferber
Edna Ferber
Edna Ferber was an American novelist, short story writer and playwright. Her novels were especially popular and included the Pulitzer Prize-winning So Big , Show Boat , and Giant .-Early years:Ferber was born August 15, 1885, in Kalamazoo, Michigan,...
novel and the movie with Rock Hudson
Rock Hudson
Roy Harold Scherer, Jr., later Roy Harold Fitzgerald , known professionally as Rock Hudson, was an American film and television actor, recognized as a romantic leading man during the 1950s and 1960s, most notably in several romantic comedies with Doris Day.Hudson was voted "Star of the Year",...
, Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
and James Dean
James Dean
James Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
.
In 2009, Foa was cast in a recurring role on the television series NCIS: Los Angeles as Eric Beale, a technical operator in the Office of Special Projects. In January 2010, the role was upgraded to series regular.
In the Winter of 2010 he appeared in the concert revue For The Record: John Hughes in Los Angeles, presented by ROCKLA for Show at Barre. It ran from November, 2010, to January, 2011. Also starring Tracie Thoms
Tracie Thoms
Tracie Nicole Thoms is an American television, film, and stage actress. She is best known for her roles in Rent, Cold Case, The Devil Wears Prada, Death Proof, and the short-lived Fox television series Wonderfalls....
, Von Smith
Von Smith
Vaughn Lee "Von" Smith is an American singer and internet personality.-Career:Smith gained some success via his YouTube videos. These garnered him national attention, which led to an appearance on The View on 27 February 2007...
and Ty Taylor
Ty Taylor
Ty Taylor is an American musician best known for being the guitarist and vocalist of R&B group Dakota Moon and was also a contestant on the reality TV show Rock Star: INXS. He is currently the lead singer and guitarist for Los Angeles based Soul/Rock band, Vintage Trouble...
.