Perrineau made his screen debut opposite Harvey Keitel, Forest Whitaker and William Hurt in the independent hit Smoke. He played the wayward teenager Rashid, winning the role after director Wayne Wang launched an extensive search to find the perfect actor for the part.

Born in Brooklyn, Perrineau attended the Shenandoah Conservatory to study music and theater, but he began his career as a dancer. Perrineau trained with the renowned Alvin Ailey company for one and a half years following his education at the Conservatory . He eventually decided to forego dance for acting and turned to the theater. He toured with such shows as "Dreamgirls," the off-Broadway revival of "Godspell" and "Avenue X."

He returned to the musical stage recently in Peter Sellars' "I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Saw the Sky," which toured internationally and was seen in New York at Lincoln Center.

Perrineau also appeared on such television series as "I'll Fly Away," "Law & Order," "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd" and "The Cosby Show."

An accomplished martial artist, Perrineau has studied Kung Fu Wu-Su for five years. He currently resides in New York City.