Peter Patrikios

Peter Patrikios is a first generation Greek American, born and raised in the Overbrook Park section of West Philadelphia. He is the second child of Christos and Christina Patrikios. Peter's father, Christos Patrikios, was the owner of a popular and extremely successful family style restaurant. Christina, a stay-at-home mom, raised her 3 sons just one block away. Like many first-generation families, there was a strong focus on heritage. Peter grew up speaking both Greek and English. He was instilled with a respect for traditional family values, a strong work ethic and a love for learning. There were high expectations for all three boys in the Patrikios family, to be successful and take advantage of the opportunities given to them. At an early age, Peter showed an affinity for scholastics, especially the sciences. However, he secretly had a passion for the performing arts. At home, he and his brothers would write scripts, film with their father's VHS CAMCORDER, and edit using two VCRs. They created parodies of 1970's style Kung Fu & Martial arts films. Complete with special effects such as garden hoses doubling as intestines and ketchup for blood. And while their favorite genre was horror, they often threw comedy in the mix. Mom was fully supportive of her children's creativity. However, his father was not as accepting of the idea. He made it clear that Peter could either pursue a pre-med curriculum or learn the family business. Peter had no interest in either one; but, under mounting pressure, he reluctantly applied to top ranked colleges with respected pre-med programs. By the end of Peter's freshman year at Franklin and Marshall College, his older brother had dropped out of Drexel University's Engineering program, his younger brother was showing little to no interest in receiving his high school diploma, and father was proudly taking advantage of bragging rights, telling any customer who would listen, that his son Peter had willingly, and freely (without any pressure or influence), decided on a pre-med curriculum. Soon, the customers would greet Peter as, "Doctor Pete"; a custom-made license plate adorned the family vehicle reading, "1 DR PETE"; And Peter began to feel as though his future as a physician was pre-ordained. The plan was simple, he would simply become a doctor and take up acting as a hobby; just as his father suggested. Mid-way through his senior year, Peter received notice that his application for early acceptance to Temple University's School of Medicine was approved. With a spot secured for medical school, he was free to take advantage of some the perks of early acceptance. He signed up for a class in modern dance (Fulfilling his arts elective). He performed in a nationwide competition sponsored by MTV called, "S.A.M.S. Rock-A-Like (students against multiple sclerosis)." The winner at the college level was submitted to MTV, where five finalists were selected to perform during spring break. Peter was shocked when a month later, he received a phone call from producers at MTV inviting him to be one of the five finalists to perform on the show. He and four college friends took the routine to Daytona Beach where they performed live on stage in front of thousands of spring break party goers, as well as hundreds of thousands watching from home. Lastly, he auditioned for the college musical, "Fiddler on the Roof", landing the role of Lazar Wolf, the butcher. In the fall of 1991, Peter begrudgingly began his first year of medical school. However, the experiences of his senior year were enough to convince him that while he had the aptitude for medical school, he lacked the desire and passion for a career in medicine. So, during winter break, he secretly dropped out of Temple's School of Medicine. Filled the with dread with regard to how his father would respond to the news, Pete decided to live a double life, letting his family believe that he was attending medical school, while secretly taking acting classes. He joined acting workshops with top casting directors. He started auditioning for plays and independent films. Unfortunately, without a degree in the performing arts or Film & Television; and no connections to anyone in the business, pursuing a career in acting proved to be more difficult than he had anticipated. He found himself adrift, pursuing one of the most difficult and competitive careers around. Yet, despite the struggle, he also knew that he made the right decision! Undeterred, he continued submitting himself for independent films and local theater, until finally landing a role in an original production called, Kennedy's Children, directed by Michael Leland. This was the first of many plays that Peter would be cast in by Michael, who had an eye for talent and a heart for giving opportunities to performers new to the business. With a new found confidence, Peter finally came clean, letting his family know that he was no longer in medical school. His father initially took the news hard, telling his son, "You have blackened my heart." But Peter knew that the only way to be truly successful, was to pursue his own dreams and not the dreams his father imposed on him. It was a bitter pill to swallow for Christos Patrikios and at times he would point to the television set in the restaurant and sarcastically exclaim, "One day you'll see my son on TV, sure ... my son the actor...". But, just two years later Peter did end up making his first television appearance. Sadly, Chris was diagnosed with cancer the year before, and passed away just few months later, never having had the opportunity to see his son perform, with the exception of the college production of Fiddler on the Roof. For the next ten years, Peter struggled to make ends meet. He felt an obligation to family and maintained close ties with them (especially his mother Christina). She was extremely supportive of his decision to follow his dream. And just as she did when he was a child, Christina encouraged him daily. With every rejection, she offered a pep talk. With every booking, she would brag of Peter's Oscar worthy performance. Still today, she will help Peter prepare for auditions, and participate in his comedic sketches for some social media platforms. While no one would describe Peter as an over-night success, he would definitely be described as successful. With each passing year, Peter's resume grew and today he's appeared in over 40 plays and 60 film and television productions. Some of his more notable appearances include Law & Order Criminal Intent, HBO's Boardwalk Empire, The Blacklist and Gotham. He can also be seen in "Last Call" with Jeremy Piven, 21 Bridges, "Zeroes" directed by Charles Smith and "Not For Nothing" written and directed by Frank Tartaglia and Tom Dolin.