Doug Peruski: Three Miserable Years

Doug Peruski is an actor from Duluth, Georgia. But he says that he is making plans to move to New York soon. "It's the center of the Theatre world in the United States," he says.

For now, though, Doug Peruski is working as a waiter in a Greek restaurant, and taking what acting jobs he can find. Most of what he finds are roles in regional theatre, or in small local productions.

While he fully expects to be in New York in the near future, Doug Peruski says that he will always love Duluth and the State of Georgia. "I really love it here," he says. He attended Peachtree Ridge High School, where he got his first real taste of the dramatic arts. "It was in an acting class I didn't want to take, at first," Doug Peruski says. "Miss Terrapin's class. She gave me a scene from Flowers for Algernon. After I got over my butterflies – because I'd never been in anything like that before – well, I just came alive. I got the acting bug. And I've had it ever since."

Doug Peruski went on to study acting at Kennesaw State University and at the University of Georgia, Athens, where he earned a degree in Theatre Arts, and minored in Computer Science. After college he spent three miserable years working at NCR, and then quit to devote himself to acting full time. 

Since making the switch, Doug Peruski has had parts in Mirror Image and Five Actors In Search of a Cell Phone. He also played Philip in Not Again!, which he says is a screwball comedy. Not Again! turned out to be a box office flop, but Doug Peruski received excellent reviews. "We look forward to seeing more of this surprising and talented young actor," wrote one critic.

Doug Peruski says he had no choice but to quit NCR for acting. "I had to do it," he says. "I know it's risky. But if I didn't at least try, I knew that I would always regret it."