With over three decades under her belt, Barrett Doss has accomplished what most of her peers only dream of. At the forefront, the actress has a Theater World Award after a spectacular performance as Rita Hanson in Groundhog Day.
She is now mostly known for her role as Victoria in Station 19. She was so invested in her character in the series that she read an actual female firefighter manual. Yet, according to the actress, if she hadn’t become an actress, she would’ve been an interior designer.
There are more interesting facts about Doss where that one came from. Here’s the lowdown.
1. Her Debut On Broadway Was Through An Understudy Role
At one point, Barrett Doss wasn’t sure that acting was in the cards for her. That’s usually the sentiment after tons of auditions yielded nothing. However, after landing so roles in plays such as Good People and Burning, she made her debut on Broadway.
It was in a comedy titled You Can’t Take It With You. She was an understudy and got the job within 72 hours of auditioning.
2. She Fell In Love With Acting In Her First Stage Musical
Falling in love, at first sight, doesn’t always apply to romantic relationships. She was in musical theater from childhood, but it is not until middle school that she realized it was her calling. Barrett Doss auditioned for a stage musical and was envigorated on stage.
That was all it took for her to start taking musical theater seriously. So, she went on to study musical theater at New York University.
3. She Once Wanted To Be A Cheesemonger
Despite planning to be an actor during her college days, by the time she graduated, her hopes had been dashed. So, Doss gave up on acting and decided to make money as a cheesemonger. According to the Broadway Style Guide, she already booked a plane ticket to San Francisco to go work at a gourmet supermarket.
Luckily, she got a call from a playwright, and thus, her acting career stayed on track.
4. She Almost Wasn’t On Groundhog Day
Barrett Doss was set on being in the stage rendition of Groundhog Day, so she auditioned for the part of Nancy. She did so well that the casting directors felt she deserved to play the lead role, Rita. Unfortunately, the schedule conflicted with her first recurring role on television on Iron Fist.
She thought it was best to pursue her TV career instead of a Broadway show, and thus withdrew herself. It worked out for the best in the end because she got to be in the final callbacks and landed the lead role.
6. She Comes From A Non-traditional Family
Doss was born into a traditional family, however when she was six when her mother came out. So, she ended up being raised by two mums. Her father ended up relocating and remarrying, and now she has three half-siblings.
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