Jamie Hector's mentor magic

Jamie Hector via nbc

You've seen him on The Wire as Marlo Stanfield and Heroes as Benjamin 'Knox' Washington. But the role that Jamie Hector loves most is the role of mentor to the youth in his own Brooklyn-based organization Moving Mountains, which educates kids through the performing arts. It helps them establish their own personal goals through acting, singing, making a film, or staging a play.

He told us all about it at the Rush Philanthropic holiday party. "We focus on kids basically. I started off in a community theater company and my organization basically started off from that, because that’s what actually sparked the light in me to want to act. So I try to pass that onto the kids. I’m also focusing on what they don’t know they have; what greatness that lies inside of them. And so you know just let them know that they’re great, teach them to act, set up original plays with them, help them perform."

If there's one reason that Jamie is a mentor, it's to give kids the answers: "Definitely, just letting them know that they have somebody they can ask questions. There are so many simple things that young men, especially young boys, don’t know that they can do because they were never taught that they can do it. I’m just letting them know that I’m here to support them, teaching them everything that they don’t know."

What a luxury! If you could ask Jamie anything what would it be? Tell us in the comments section!