Mario Barrett

August 27, 2025

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

Mario Barrett, born Mario Dewar Barrett on August 27, 1986, and known by his fans as Mario, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. Barrett has been in the music industry since a young age and has released five studio albums. He is also a talented actor and has starred in shows and films such as “Empire” and “Step Up.” Let’s celebrate his birthday right here.

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Mario Dewar Barrett

Birth date:

August 27, 1986

Age:

Zodiac Sign:

Virgo

Height:

5' 11"

Relationship Status:

Single

Net Worth:

$14 million

Background

Mario Barrett, known mononymously as Mario, is an American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and model who was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. Barrett displayed a love for music at a young age, and when he was just 11 years old, he was scouted and signed by producer Troy Patterson. Then, at age 14, he signed a record deal with Clive Davis’ J Records. In 2001, Barrett started recording his first studio album, which was later released in 2002 and titled “Mario.”

Barrett’s second album, “Turning Point,” was released in 2004, and produced the number one single ‘Let Me Love You,’ which won him two “Billboard” Music Awards. In 2006, Barrett was cast in the hit film “Step Up,” which was ideal for the talented dancer. Between 2007 and 2018, he released a further three studio albums, titled “Go” (2007), “D.N.A.” (2009), and “Dancing Shadows” (2018). In 2019, he got the part of Benjamin “Benny” Coffin III in the live television production of the musical “Rent.”

His acting career also includes a recurring role in the highly-acclaimed television series “Empire,” in which he starred between 2018 and 2020. Barrett is also quite famous on social media and boasts a fanbase of over one million followers on Instagram, over 700,000 on TikTok, and over one million subscribers on YouTube. As of 2022, Barrett is still active in the music industry and there have been rumors that he is set to release a sixth studio album. This is all just hearsay for now, but we are here for it if it happens!

Career timeline

2002

His First Album

Barrett releases his first self-titled studio album.

2006

His First Movie Role

He is cast in the movie “Step Up.”

2018

“Empire”

Barrett gets a recurring role in the hit television series “Empire.”

2020

His E.P. Launch

He releases an E.P. called “Closer to Mars.”

Why We Love Mario Barrett

He loves animals
Barrett has been a voice for animals for years and endorsed PETA’s campaign against killing animals titled ‘Ink, Not Mink.’ He says "Be comfortable in your own skin, and let animals keep theirs."
He is helping the youth
He started a foundation called the Mario Do Right Foundation, which is “a non-profit youth development organization with [an] emphasis on substance abuse prevention. The organization provides education, awareness, and support to children of addicted parents (COAP).”
He has overcome a lot
Growing up in a broken home with a drug-addicted mother couldn’t be easy. However, Barrett managed to overcome his troubles and has been very open with his fans about his personal life and upbringing.

5 Surprising Facts

He was part of the Knightwritaz
The Knightwritaz were a group of songwriters who worked with big celebs such as Jennifer Lopez and Chris Brown.
His music icons
His musical influences include Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Nat King Cole, Boyz II Men, Michael Jackson, and Usher, to name a few.
He grew up with his grandmother
Barrett lived with his grandmother as his mother battled addiction.
His founded a record label
Barrett founded the independent record label New Citizen LLC.
He has a documentary about his life
He has a documentary that aired on M.T.V. called “I Won't Love You to Death: The Story of Mario and His Mom.”