Manny Perez

Infobox actor
name = Manny Perez


imagesize = 150px
birthname = Manuel Perez Batista
birthdate = birth date and age|1969|5|5
birthplace = Santiago, Dominican Republic
yearsactive = 1993 - present
spouse =

Manuel "Manny" Perez Batista (born May 5, 1969) is a Dominican actor, who has appeared in the television series "Third Watch" and in the film "Washington Heights". Perez was born in Santiago, Dominican Republic, and currently resides in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood. [Guzman, Sandra. [http://www.nypost.com/seven/08082007/tempo/manny_of_the_year_tempo_sandra_guzman.htm "'MANNY' OF THE YEAR: DOMINICAN ACTOR PEREZ IS SET TO STAR IN A DOZEN (!) NEW MOVIES"] , "The New York Post", August 8, 2007. Accessed September 23, 2007. "Perez, who moved to Providence, Rhode Island at the age of 10, most of his family still lives there, decided long ago that he was not moving to Los Angeles to make it. He lives in and loves Washington Heights."]

Perez is one of 11 siblings. In an interview in Dominican show "Hola Gente" stated that one of his big regrets of life was that he never told his father (Ramon Perez) how much he loved him, Manny's father died 3 months before he graduated from college.

By the time Manny finished high school, Manny knew he wanted to be an actor, he moved to New York where he mayored in drama at Marymount Manhattan College, graduating in 1992.

He has also studied at Ensemble Studio Theatre and is a member of the LAByrinth Theatre Company, in New York City.

After his performance on the movie "Washington Heights" which he also co-wrote and produced, Manny garnered praise from many critics.

"The New York Times" stated "Mr. Perez has charisma to burn." He won the 2002 Best Actor Award at The Milan International Film Festival in Italy for his performance in "Washington Heights".

Manny was the first ever member of his family to get a university degree.

At the Santo Domingo Invita show Perez was honored as one of the most prominent Dominican actors in the United States.

In November 2007 Manny was honored in the Dominican Film Festival held in Puerto Plata along with Dania Ramirez for his humanitarian work in the Dominican Republic. When Manny received the award he said that his first pair of shoes where given by his father to him at the age of 5 and that he only wore them to go to Mass on Sundays. Manny also said that when he first got to the United States he was really fat and that he didn't know why since he was poor and didn't eat well. Until his mother took him to the doctor where they found out that his stomach was full of earthworms that got into his body through his feet since he always walk barefoot. Manny donated 10,000 shoes to families who lost everything after Hurricane Noel swept across the Dominican Republic.

Filmography

Films and television series that Perez has appeared in include: [ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0673563/ Manny Perez] , Internet Movie Database. Accessed September 23, 2007.]

ee also

*List of Dominicans

References

External links

*imdb|0673563