Peter Parros

Peter Parros (born November 11, 1960 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American actor and screenwriter. His acting credits include stage, screen and television, but he may be most recognized for his nearly decade-long portrayal of Dr. Ben Harris on the CBS soap As the World Turns.

Biography

Early life

Peter Parros was born in Brooklyn, New York, but grew up in Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. He became interested in acting and the film industry after holding a job with a company that created special effects miniatures. When interviewed, he referred to the initial stages of his acting endeavor as being completely different than what other actors and actresses found. He said, "What drew me in wasn't the Shakespearean quality of acting. I was going to be the black Arnold Schwarzenegger.".^[1] He then became an editor for the magazine "International Modeler", and went to school to be a dental technician.

Career

Initially, Parros acted solely in theater. Eventually, he found minor success on screen. In 1984, Parros landed his first television role as Michael, Tootie's cousin, in The Facts of Life. He also appeared in the CBS situation comedy, The Family Man. Thereafter, he was cast in several popular American soap operas. He appeared on The Young and the Restless in the recurring role of Leo Baines from 1986-1987, Santa Barbara in 1992, One Life to Live as the second Dr. Ben Price 1994-1995 and As the World Turns as Dr. Benjamin "Ben" Robert Harris from 1996-2005.

Parros' first regular series role was in the 1980s TV series Knight Rider as "RC3", a.k.a. Reginald Cornelius III; he appeared in the fourth and final season of the series. Parros has made guest appearances on such TV shows as Charles in Charge, Star Trek: The Next Generation and New York Undercover. He also starred in the short-lived The New Adam-12, a spin-off of the 1960s-1970s popular police drama Adam-12, as Officer Gus Grant.

In addition to his acting, Parros has written the scripts of two movies: Something to Sing About and Harlem Sistas Double Dutch.

Personal life

Parros has been married to actress Jerri Morgan since 1985. They have a son and a daughter, and currently live in Bloomfield, New Jersey.^[2]

He owns the production company, Ten Talents Productions, which produces television shows for the Black Family Channel. Parros also occupies his time with the "Faith in Action" program, which supports development of new farming techniques, reforestation of land, and other agricultural projects, which promote growth and prosperity in Haiti.

Filmography

References

External links

• Peter Parros at the Internet Movie Database
• Peter Parros at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)