For most of his life, it seems, actor Felton Perry has been encouraging children to use their imaginations.

Born in Chicago into a conservative Protestant family, Perry never saw a movie until he was 11 years old.  Singing, dancing and performing were strongly discouraged.  He would wile away the school hours imagining the baseball games and soap operas that others always talked about.  Perhaps this is why, as he grew older, Perry was so attracted to the crowd he was kept away from in his youth.  "I hung around drama people because I found them to be the most exciting people," he confesses.

Even as a child, Perry could attract an audience.  "When I was about 11 or 12, this girl and I liked each other.  So in order for us to get close to each other, to touch, we used to read fairy tales.  She would play whatever princess and I would play the prince.  And we used to do it outside, because you didn't visit girls at home.  All the kids knew we did this, so on the playground there would be anywhere from five to 20 kids watching us and listening to us read the fairy tales.  And she made me read all the way through, by the way, which might have helped my literacy," Perry adds with a smile.

"But it taught me something about audiences, though; audiences want action.  The kids said, 'We already know the story! Kiss her! Kiss her!'"

The first moment Perry truly felt like a professional was when he joined Actor's Equity.  "The Equity card was the great achievement."  Joining AFTRA (American Federation of Television & Radio Artists) soon afterwards, and finally SAG (Screen Actors Guild), helped get Perry immediate work upon moving out to the west coast.

With recurring roles in such shows as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Hanging With Mr. Cooper, and L.A. Law, appearances in all three Robocop movies, and an appearance recently in the film Dumb and Dumber, Perry has one of those faces that everyone knows even if they can't quite remember the name.  Despite his professional achievements, he still considers his greatest role to be working with and inspiring children.  Before getting his acting career off the ground, he worked as a social worker in a local community center, promoting Drama Time for children.

Perhaps this is what led him to accept a volunteer position for the Maxine Waters Employment Preparation Center.  Since 1991,

Perry has been working with inner city children to bring out their productive, creative sides, channeling emotion and energy into positive output.  "The only rule is no negativity," he proclaims.  "No negativity towards each other.   Because only in a positive atmosphere can creativity ever grow."  Using acting and writing exercises to promote self-expression, Perry works with kids others might have given up on.

"This is an alternative school... for teenage pregnancies, gang members, kids who for whatever reason can't make it in the so-called 'normal' school setting."

"My aspirations, in terms of what I do with the young people, are to continue to do projects, either with stage, television or film.  That's important to me..." he adds.

Serving as a role model who demonstrates what can be accomplished with perseverance, Perry explains, "the main reason why I'm there, is to applaud them for continuing their education, and encourage them to continue to do so.  Seeing as how I am a former high school dropout who learned that without an education, you aren't going to have that many opportunities."  Perry went on to get his G.E.D. during his tour with the Marines and, eventually received a college scholarship.