 In November 2007 Pérez was honored in the Dominican Film Festival held in Puerto Plata along with Dania Ramirez for his humanitarian work in the Dominican Republic.When Pérez received the award he said that his first pair of shoes were given to him at the age of 5 by his father and that he only wore them to go to Mass on Sundays.Pérez also said that when he first got to the United States he was really fat and that he didn't know why since he was poor and didn't eat well until his mother took him to the doctor where they found out that his stomach was full of hookworms that got into his body through his feet since he would always walk barefoot.