Barrett studied acting at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco and earned a BA in Theater from UCLA. He is also trained in jazz and tap dance. Beside several stage plays, Barrett had featured and recurring parts in several television series, such as Generations, General Hospital, Stand By Your Man, Boy Meets World, Ask Harriet (1998, with Willie Garson and Rob LaBelle), The Naked Truth (1998), Malibu, CA (1999), and Passions.