Gregory Jbara

Gregory Jbara (/dʒəˈbɑːrə/; born September 28, 1961) is an American actor and singer. He is known for his roles as Deputy Commissioner Garrett Moore in the CBS police procedural Blue Bloods (2010–2023), Dan O'Keefe in the Fox sitcom Grounded for Life, and for his performance as Jackie Elliot in Billy Elliot the Musical (2009), for which he earned a Tony Award.

Early life and education

Jbara was born in Nankin Township (now Westland), Michigan, the son of an advertising office manager and an insurance claims adjuster. He is of Lebanese and Irish descent. After graduating from Wayne Memorial High School in Wayne, Michigan, 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), where he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

Both of Jbara's brothers also have careers in the entertainment industry. Mike, formerly President and CEO, WEA Corp., is now CEO at MQA. Brother Dan had a career primarily as an unscripted TV show producer. Jbara also has a sister, Judy, who is Chief Supervision Officer at Northwestern Mutual Woodland Hills.

Career

Jbara is featured as Chairman Magnuson in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer and has appeared in 13 seasons as "DCPI Garrett Moore" on the hit CBS police drama Blue Bloods. Other film roles include "Sam Ringo" in Adam Seidel's Alien, Intervention (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.

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. (Scoundrels star John Lithgow had already been caricatured at Sardi's.) 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."

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.

In 2006, Jbara received a Special Award from the New England Theatre Conference for his achievement in theatre.

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).

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

• "Dad" in Billy Elliot the Musical (2008) (originated role)
• "André Thibault" in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (2005) (originated role)
• "Billy Flynn" in Chicago (revival)
• "Squash (Mr. Bernstein)" in Victor/Victoria (1995) (originated role)
• "Sohovik" in Damn Yankees (1994) (revival; originated role)
• "Bellhop #1/Bootblack" in Born Yesterday (1989) with Ed Asner and Madeline Kahn (Broadway revival)
• "LIFFE Trader, John" in Serious Money (1988) with Alec Baldwin and Kate Nelligan (Jbara's Broadway debut)
• "Alfred P. Doolittle" in My Fair Lady (2013) for the Kennedy Center
• "Mr. Bunder" in the West Coast Premiere of Michael John LaChiusa's play, Little Fish (2007) starring Alice Ripley
• "Vinnie" in the Geffen Playhouse Premier of Neil Simon's Oscar and Felix (update to The Odd Couple)
• "Ike/Bess Truman" in the West Coast Premiere of Michael John LaChiusa's play, First Lady Suite
• "Clark Gable" in The Blank Theatre Company's The Living Room Series presentation of Mark Saltzman's new play, Mr. Shaw Goes To Hollywood
• "Chick Clark" in Wonderful Town (2000) for City Center Encores!
• "Kevin Cartwright" in Privates On Parade (1989) with Jim Dale and Simon Jones
• "Smudge" in Forever Plaid
• "Gunther, Wotan, Hagen, Dwarf, Giant" in Das Barbecü (Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam, Connecticut)
• "The Frankenstein Monster" in Have I Got A Girl For You! (Jbara's Off-Broadway debut)

Awards

External links

• at IMDb
• at the Internet Broadway Database
• 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
• at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• on Instagram