Leonard Joseph “Len” Cariou (born September 30, 1939) is a Canadian actor. He gained prominence for his Tony Award-winning title role in the original cast of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979). Prior, Cariou had earned nominations for his performances in musicals Applause (1970) and A Little Night Music (1973). Cariou has had supporting roles in films such as The Four Seasons (1981), Thirteen Days (2000), About Schmidt (2002), Flags of Our Fathers (2006), Prisoners (2013), and Spotlight (2015). On television, he is known for recurring roles in the shows Murder, She Wrote (1985–1992), Brotherhood (2005-2006), and Damages (2010) and his starring role in Blue Bloods (2010–2024).

Filmography

• American Classic — Linus Bean
• 2026Wildwood — Richard (voice)
• Boston Blue — Henry Reagan
• 2021Show of Titles — "Mame" Performer
• When They See Us — DA Robert Morgenthau
• 2018Bumblebee — Hank
• 2018Death Wish — Ben
• 2015Spotlight — Cardinal Law
• 2013Prisoners — Father Patrick Dunn
• 2013Wallander: The Troubled Man — Atkins
• Blue Bloods — Henry Reagan
• 2009Into the Storm — President Franklin D. Roosevelt
• 2008The Onion Movie — Norm Archer
• 20071408 — Mike's Father
• Army Wives — Randall Meade
• Damages — Louis Tobin
• Brotherhood — Judd Fitzgerald
• 2006Flags of Our Fathers — Mr. Beech
• 2006The Best of The Tony Awards: The Plays — James Tyrone (segment "Long Day's Journey Into Night")
• 2005Boynton Beach Club — Jack
• 2005The Greatest Game Ever Played — Stedman Comstock
• Wallander — Atkins
• 2004Secret Window — Sheriff Dave Newsome
• Sex Traffic — Magnus Herzoff
• 2004The Skulls III — Dean Lawton
• 2002About Schmidt — Ray Nichols
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation — Frank McCarty
• Nuremberg — Francis Biddle
• 2000Thirteen Days — Dean Acheson
• 1999Border Line — Jerry
• 1999In the Company of Spies — The President
• Mentors — Alexander Graham Bell
• The West Wing — Alan Damson
• 1998Race for the Record — Narrator (voice)
• 1997New York Underground — Narrator
• The Practice — Defense Attorney Weiland
• 1996A Brother's Promise: The Dan Jansen Story — Harry Jansen
• 1996Executive Decision — Secretary of Defense Charles White
• FX: The Series — Charles Emery
• Swift Justice — Al Swift
• 1996The Summer of Ben Tyler — Spencer Maitland
• 1995A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes: The Annette Funicello Story — Walt Disney
• 1995Derby — Henry Woods
• 1995Never Talk to Strangers — Henry Taylor
• Star Trek: Voyager — Admiral Edward Janeway
• 1995The Man in the Attic — Joe Heldmann
• The Outer Limits — Father Anton Jonascu, Doc Wells
• 1994Getting In — Dr. Higgs / Ezekiel Higgs
• 1994Love on the Run — Noah Cross
• 1994Witness to the Execution — Jake Tyler
• 1993Class of '61 — Dr. Leland Peyton
• 1993Miracle on Interstate 880 — Buck Helm
• 1993The Sea Wolf — Dr. Picard
• Law & Order — Edgar Beezley, Captain Allard Bunker, Mac Geller
• 1989An Amazin Era: Revised and Updated — Narrator
• 1989The Johnstown Flood — Narrator
• American Experience — Narrator (voice)
• 1988Lady in White — Phil Terragarossa
• 1987A Giants History: The Tale of Two Cities — Narrator
• 1987There Were Times, Dear — Bob Millard
• 1986An Amazin' Era — Narrator
• 1986Killer in the Mirror
• 1985Surviving — David Brogan
• 1984Louisiana — Oswald
• Murder, She Wrote — Michael Hagarty
• 1983The Tempest — Prospero
• 1982The Taming of the Shrew — Petruchio
• 1981Madame X — John Abbott
• 1981The Four Seasons — Nick Callan
• 1978Canada Vignettes: Fort Prince of Wales — Narrator
• 1978Canada Vignettes: Lady Frances Simpson — Narrator
• 1978Canada Vignettes: Spence's Republic — Narrator
• 1978Drying Up the Streets — Larry
• 1978Who'll Save Our Children? — Matt Laver
• 1977A Little Night Music — Frederick Egerman
• 1977One Man — Jason Brady
• Don't Go Gentle — Lawrence Driver, Executive Producer
• The 1993 World Series: Toronto Blue Jays vs Philadelphia Phillies — Narrator (voice)

Appearances as themselves (8)

• Stars in the House — Self
• 19961996 New York Yankees: The Official World Series Film — Self - Narrator
• 1996A Benefit Celebration: A Tribute to Angela Lansbury — Self
• 19951995 Atlanta Braves: The Official World Series Film — Himself - Narrator
• 19931993 Toronto Blue Jays: The Official World Series Film — Self - Narrator
• Great Performances — Self
• Tony Awards — Self - Nominee, Self - Winner / Performer, Self - Performer, Self - Previous Winner
• Official 1992 World Series Film — Self - Narrator