Batt grew up in a family deeply connected to New Orleans entertainment and culture. His grandfather, Harry Batt Sr., founded Pontchartrain Beach, the beloved amusement park that operated along the shores of Lake Pontchartrain for decades. His maternal grandmother was a well-known local dance teacher, while his mother, Gayle Batt, was an actress, dancer, and civic activist who encouraged his artistic interests. These family influences helped nurture his early love of performance.
As a student at Isidore Newman School, Batt began developing his acting skills through school productions. He continued performing with the New Orleans Recreation Department and at Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré, one of the city’s historic theater institutions. He later attended Tulane University, graduating in 1985 with a degree in theater. The following year, he moved to New York City to pursue a professional acting career.
Batt established himself on the stage, appearing in major Broadway productions including Starlight Express, Cats, Evita, Sunset Boulevard, and Beauty and the Beast. His theater work demonstrated his versatility as a performer and helped him build a career that extended well beyond the stage. He also appeared in films, including Jeffrey and Kiss Me, Guido, and made television appearances before landing the role that would introduce him to a much wider audience.
In 2007, Batt joined the cast of AMC’s Mad Men, the award-winning drama set in the world of 1960s advertising. He portrayed Salvatore Romano, a talented art director navigating the professional and personal constraints of the era. Batt’s performance brought depth to a character whose experiences reflected the social expectations and discrimination of the time. He appeared as a regular cast member during the series’ first three seasons, and the Mad Men ensemble earned Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2009 and 2010.
Following his time on Mad Men, Batt continued working in film and television, including a role in Steve McQueen’s Academy Award-winning film 12 Years a Slave. Beyond acting, he has pursued writing and interior design. His books include She Ain’t Heavy, She’s My Mother, a memoir about his mother, and Big, Easy Style, which explores home furnishings and interior design. He has also maintained ties to his hometown through business ventures and support for the local arts community.
Although his career has taken him to some of the biggest stages and screens in the entertainment industry, New Orleans remains an important part of Batt’s personal and professional story. He and his husband, Tom Cianfichi, opened the home accessories shop Hazelnut in New Orleans in 2003. From his early experiences in local theater to his international recognition on Mad Men, his career reflects the path of a performer whose roots in the Crescent City helped shape a lasting presence in American entertainment.
If his answers put you in the mood for a pot of your own, start where our Mondays start: my Monday red beans and rice. This is the pot the whole series is named for.
What’s your earliest memory of red beans and rice?
I’d have to say at the Newman School cafeteria. My mother really wasn’t a cook, and luckily for her, the family business was Pontchartrain Beach, so she would order from the Bali H’ai restaurant. I think egg roll was my 1st solid food!
Was red beans and rice a regular thing in your house growing up?
I grew to love red beans and rice as I’d have it at friends’ homes. It was more of a special thing in our home.
Do you still eat red beans on Mondays?
I eat it whenever I can. Love the red beans and rice at the High Hat and Joey K’s.
What makes a perfect pot of red beans in your opinion?
Pickle Pork or ham hocks make it for me.
What does red beans and rice mean to you?
Definitely a comfort food and a tradition. Is like eating a little bit of NOLA with every bite!
Is there a person or place you always think about when you smell a pot of red beans simmering?
Dolores at Chuck and Barbara Menendez’s home in Lake Vista.
Has red beans and rice ever shown up at a big moment in your life?
I threw a friend a sweet 16 party once and insisted we serve red beans and rice.
I love its universal appeal… every culture has a version of a beans and rice dish… I just think ours is the best!
If you could have a bowl of red beans and rice with anyone – past or present – who would it be and why?
My dad…we both loved the NOLA dish so much. He died so young at 55; there’s so much I’d want to talk about.
Where’s your favorite place anywhere in New Orleans?
Audubon & City Park.
How can someone outside of New Orleans support you and what you are doing?
Visit hazelnutneworleans.com or invest in bringing Here Comes J. Edgar! to Broadway.
What are you currently working on? Any project you’d like to pass along?
Just completed the initial run of Harry Shearer’s hysterical musical Here Comes J. Edgar in London. Rave reviews; my own mother couldn’t have written more glowing notices!
To stay up-to-date on everything Bryan Batt is doing, make sure you follow him online:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bryan.batt.1
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryan_batt
- Hazelnut New Orleans: https://hazelnutneworleans.com/
- Hazelnut on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hazelnutneworleans/
If you would like to learn more about the book written by Batt, you can follow the link. Disclosure: The book link is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Eric Olsson is the food blogger of RedBeansAndEric.com. He publishes new recipes and interviews weekly. He has developed recipes and written articles for the famous Camellia brand in New Orleans, Louisiana. He has been mentioned in Louisiana Cookin‘ magazine and has had recipes featured in Taste of Home magazine – with his Creole Turkey recipe being runner up in their annual Thanksgiving recipe contest. He lives outside of Detroit, Michigan, with his wife and four children.
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