Gregory Jbara (/dʒəˈbɑːrə/; born September 28, 1961) is an American film, television, stage actor and singer. Best known as DCPI Garrett Moore in Blue Bloods (2010-2023), and his Tony Award winning performance as Jackie Elliot in Billy Elliot the Musical (2009).
Jbara was born in Nankin Township (now Westland), Michigan, the son of an advertising office manager[1] and an insurance claims adjuster.[2] He is of Lebanese and Irish descent.[3][4] After graduating from Wayne Memorial High School in Wayne, Michigan,[5] Jbara attended the University of Michigan from 1979 to 1981. He majored in Communication Studies and took classes in Theatre and Musical Theatre. He left Michigan to attend the Juilliard School's drama division (1982–1986, Group 15),[6] where he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.[2][7]
Both of Jbara's brothers also have careers in the entertainment industry. Mike, formerly President and CEO, WEA Corp.,[8][9] is now CEO at MQA.[10] Brother Dan had a career primarily as an unscripted TV show producer.[11][12] Jbara also has a sister, Judy, who is Chief Supervision Officer at Northwestern Mutual Woodland Hills.[13]
Careeredit
Jbara is featured as Chairman Magnuson in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer and has completed 13 Seasons as "DCPI Garrett Moore" on the hit CBS police drama Blue Bloods. Upcoming film roles include "Sam Ringo" in Adam Seidel's AlienIntervention (2023) and "Buck/Hector Scriggles" in Oscar Brill's A Ramble Towards Rain (2023). Jbara originated the role of "Jackie Elliot" (known as "Dad") in the Broadway production of Billy Elliot the Musical, which opened on November 13, 2008. For his portrayal of "Dad," Jbara received the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk, and Tony awards for Best Featured Actor in a Musical during the 2008-2009 Broadway awards season. He is the voice of "Pastor Wilson Knox" in the Adventures in Odyssey radio series for Focus On The Family.[14][15][16]
On May 5, 2005, Sardi's caricatures of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels stars Butz, Gleason, Jbara and Scott were unveiled in a ceremony hosted by fellow co-star Sara Gettelfinger.[17] (Scoundrels star John Lithgow had already been caricatured at Sardi's.)[18] In a 2008 Grand Rapids Press interview, Jbara (noting the importance of being caricatured at the landmark Broadway restaurant) said, "You don't remember a year later who won the Tonys, but that picture will be in Sardi's for the rest of my life."[19]
Jbara received the BackStageWest Garland 2000 Award for his performance in the West Coast premiere of George Furth's play Precious Sons, co-starring Nora Dunn, Michael Malota, Ginger Williams and Adam Wylie.[20]
In 2006, Jbara received a Special Award from the New England Theatre Conference for his achievement in theatre.[21]
Jbara appeared as TV Land's on-camera spokesperson in eight different spots featuring three generations sitting on a couch: grandpa (William Severs), father/boomer (Jbara) and teenage son (Dylan Kepp). The spots focused, humorously, on the contrasts among those generations and were first shown on TV Land during the TV Land Awards broadcast on April 22, 2007.
Jbara's most prominent TV roles to date have been as NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Garrett Moore on the CBS drama Blue Bloods (2010–present) and as Dan O'Keefe in the Fox/WB sitcom Grounded for Life (2002–05).
^ ab"Jbara Still A SCOUNDREL!". Broadwayworld.com. June 13, 2006.
^GregoryJbara.com - A Midsummer Night's Dream movie premiere report by actor, 1999 Archived 2007-09-02 at the Wayback Machine
^GregoryJbara.com - Interview with actor, 2000 Archived 2008-05-12 at the Wayback Machine
^"GregoryJbara.com - Biography (Misc. Extras)". Archived from the original on 2008-05-14. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
^"Alumni News: November 2011". Juilliard.edu. Archived from the original on 2012-07-18. Gregory Jbara (Group 15)
^"Lunch, Learn, and Pass the Tony, Please!". The Juilliard Journal. November 2009.
^GregoryJbara.com: NETC Convention 2006 Photo Archived 2011-07-11 at the Wayback Machine
^MarketWire.com: Mike Jbara Named President and CEO, WEA Corp.
^Billboard.com: Warner Music Names Stu Bergen Int'l President; Promotes Mike Jbara, Matt Signore, Matt Flott
^GregoryJbara.com: Billy Elliot Opening Night Photo
^SonyPictures.com: Ripley's Believe It or Not: Production Bio Archived 2011-06-05 at the Wayback Machine
^GregoryJbara.com: 2007 Stage / Broadway / Recording News: September Archived 2011-06-13 at the Wayback Machine
^OuterCritics.org - Awards for 2008-2009 Archived 2014-01-02 at the Wayback Machine outercritics.org
^DramaDesk.org - Awards for 2008-2009 Archived 2009-07-20 at the Wayback Machine dramadesk.org
^TonyAwards.com - Nominees and Winners, Billy Elliot Archived 2009-05-22 at the Wayback Machine tonyawards.com
^On the Scene: Four Scoundrels Make the Wall at Sardi's, Broadway.com Video Feature archived at gregoryjbara.com Archived 2011-07-11 at the Wayback Machine
^A Wall Full of Scoundrels at Sardi's, Photo Op:Broadway.com Buzz Archived 2006-11-21 at the Wayback Machine
^Stage, screen star comes to aid of Actors' Theatre - mlive.com article archived at gregoryjbara.com Archived 2011-06-13 at the Wayback Machine
^The Blank Theatre Company - Awards Archived 2007-10-08 at archive.today