Peter Parros
Parros in 2012
Born (1960-11-11) November 11, 1960 (age 63)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1984–present
Spouse
Jerri Morgan
​
​
(m. 1985; div. 2015)​
Children2

Peter Parros (born November 11, 1960) is an American actor and screenwriter. His acting credits include stage, screen and television. Parros portrays Judge David Harrington on Tyler Perry's The Haves and the Have Nots airing on the Oprah Winfrey Network, 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]

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.[2] His first regular series role was on Knight Rider in 1985, playing "RC3", a.k.a. Reginald Cornelius III, the semi truck driver (and sometime partner to Michael Knight) who also worked on KITT; he appeared in the fourth and final season of the series. Knight Rider has appeared in syndication in over 200 countries throughout the world, most notably in Australia, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom.[3]

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 to 2005. Parros also starred in the short-lived The New Adam-12,[4] 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 most recently in Tyler Perry’s The Haves and the Have Nots, a hit show for Oprah Winfrey’s OWN Channel.[5]

Parros has made guest appearances on such TV shows as Charles in Charge, Star Trek: The Next Generation,[6] and New York Undercover.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1985 Real Genius Air Force SP at Gate
1986 A Little Off Mark Mark
1987 Death Before Dishonor James
2007 The Weekend Jacob's Dad
2017 Our Dream Christmas Marshall Carter
2019 Rim of the World Dariush's Dad
2023 The Final Say Pastor Terry

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1984 The Facts of Life Michael Episode: "Crossing the Line"
1985 Anything for Love 2nd Waiter Unsold pilot
1985–1986 Knight Rider 'RC3' Reginald Cornelius III 21 episodes
1985–1989 Charles in Charge Eugene / Eddie Dootabuta 2 episodes
1986 The Young and the Restless Leo Baines 10 episodes
1988 Ladykillers Zak Television film
1989 Studio 5-B Episode: "The Aftermath"
Star Trek: The Next Generation Tactics Officer Episode: "A Matter of Honor"
227 Pizza Man Episode: "The Bet"
1st & Ten Episode: "Final Bow"
1989–1991 The New Adam-12 Officer Gus Grant 42 episodes
1990 The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson Gordon Jones Television film
The Family Man Eddie Cooper 3 episodes
1992 Santa Barbara Dane 9 episodes
Seinfeld Officer #2 Episode: "The Trip: Part 2"
1993 Hangin' with Mr. Cooper Troy Episode: "Unforgettable"
1994 Step by Step George Episode: "Pretty Woman"
1994–1995 One Life to Live Dr. Ben Price 12 episodes
1996 New York Undercover Stan Episode: "A Time to Kill"
1996–2005, 2009 As the World Turns Benjamin "Ben" Robert Harris 41 episodes
Nominated—Image Award (2000, 2003)
Nominated—Soap Opera Digest Awards (1998)
2005 CSI: Miami James Johnson Episode: "Felony Flight"
2007 Bones Officer at Scene Episode: "The Man at the Mansion"
2008 Law & Order Judge Matthew Alden 2 episodes
2009 Sherri William Episode: "Lost Weekend"
2010 Royal Pains Ted Phillips Episode: "Big Whoop"
2011 Castle Dr. Rex Colabro Episode: "The Dead Pool"
2013–2021 The Haves and the Have Nots David Harrington 113 episodes
2018 Scorpion Chief Benavidez Episode: "Nerd, Wind & Fire"
2019 Lethal Weapon FBI Agent Ross Episode: "The Spy Who Loved Me"

References

  1. ^ "Peter Parros (Ben, ATWT)". Soap Opera Digest. Archived from the original on October 22, 2007. Retrieved December 3, 2007.
  2. ^ "'Haves and Have Nots' star Peter Parros embraces being heartthrob in his 50s". The Grio. March 14, 2017. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  3. ^ Anderson, Jon (July 21, 1985). "'KNIGHT RIDER' TAKES TO THE CHICAGO STREETS". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  4. ^ Hirsch, Lynda (April 4, 1998). "BOBBIE OF 'GH' A LADY(?) WITH A PAST". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  5. ^ Anderson, LaDale (June 9, 2013). "Perry's "Haves And Have Nots" Brings Drama". San Francisco News. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  6. ^ Nemecek, Larry (2003). "Second Season". The Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion: Revised Edition. New York: Pocket Books. ISBN 0-7434-5798-6.

External links