Manny is one of eleven siblings, born in the small town of Baitoa, a suburb of the city of Santiago in the Dominican Republic. At the age of 10, he and his family moved to the United States, settling in Providence, Rhode Island. By the time he finished high school, Manny knew the stage was his natural home. He moved to New York majoring in drama at Marymount Manhattan College, graduating in 1992.As an actor, Manny has a solid background with various feature films and television appearances, in addition to a list of plays originating from the Trinity Repertory Co. in Providence. He has also studied at the prestigious Ensemble Studio Theatre and is a member of the LAByrinth Theatre Company, in New York City.Manny produced, starred and co-wrote Washington Heights, an independent movie set in his own neighborhood. His award winning performance 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. Perez also starred in Sidney Lumet's critically acclaimed series 100 Centre Street. He was also in the last season of Third Watch for NBC as Officer Santiago.Television roles, independent movies and returns to the stage encompassed his life after graduation. He has worked with such film directors as Sidney Lumet, Arthur Penn, Spike Lee, Leon Ichaso, Mike Newell, Ed Zwick, Takeshi Kitano, Bob Giraldi, Darnell Martin, among others.At the Santo Domingo Invita: All-Star-Night at Radio City Music Hall, Perez was honored as one of the most prominent Dominican actors in the United States. He has been featured in various magazines, newspapers and entertainment shows.Manny currently resides in Washington Heights, New York City.
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