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.".
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. His first regular series role was on Knight Rider in 1985, playing "RC3", a.k.a. Reginald Cornelius III, the new mechanic (and sometime partner to Micheal Knight) who worked on KITT; he appeared in the fourth and final season of the series.
Thereafter, Parros 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 to 1987, Santa Barbara in 1992, One Life to Live as the second Dr. Ben Price from 1994 until 1995, and on As the World Turns as Dr. Benjamin "Ben" Robert Harris from 1996-2005. Parros 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 1990–91, he played the recurring role of firefighter Eddie Cooper on the CBS comedy The Family Man.
Parros has made guest appearances on such TV shows as Charles in Charge, Star Trek: The Next Generation and New York Undercover.
Personal life[]
Parros has been married to actress Jerri Ryan since 1985. They have a son and a daughter, and lived in Bloomfield, New Jersey. He owns the production company, Ten Talents Productions, which produced television shows for the Black Family Channel.