Joe Tippett

Joe Tippett (born March 1, 1982) is an American actor. He is known for playing Sam Strickland in the NBC drama series Rise and grew up in Damascus, Maryland. He attended Damascus High School, where he was on the football team. He was also involved in his school's theater department, where he performed in his first musical, Bye Bye Birdie. In 2015, he made his Broadway debut as Bait Boy in Airline Highway. Two years later, Tippett played the leading man in the Off-Broadway production of All the Fine Boys.

In 2018, Tippett played Coach Strickland on NBC's Rise. The same year, Tippett was cast as Lucius King in NBC's Prism which is inspired by Rashomon, a 1950 Japanese drama directed by Akira Kurosawa.

In September 2021, Tippett reprised his role as Earl Hunterson in the Broadway return engagement of Waitress.

Personal life In August 2015, Tippett met singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles during the out-of-town tryout for Waitress at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and they began a relationship in 2016. The couple made their first public appearance at the 2017 Tony Awards. On New Year's Day in 2023, Tippett and Bareilles announced their engagement. They were married on October 4, 2025.

Filmography Film YearTitleRoleNotesRef. 2006 Gray Matters Ben 2011 Doctors of the Dark Side Unknown Documentary 2012 Damascus Roads Finch Short film 2016 Our Time Jamie 2018 Monsters and Men Officer Montori 2019 Patsy & Loretta Doolittle Lynn2022 Mr. Harrigan's Phone Craig's father Spirited Owen Briggs 2023 Waitress: The Musical Earl Hunterson 2024 A Complete Unknown Dave Van Ronk 2026Happy HoursTBA

Television

Stage