saving real lives, that is the biggest, i don't know, the biggest rush i could ever have. >> i'm preston burkethat experience at "grey's anatomy" not played out the way it did, with the inspiration to talk about this self-discovery, or your mission and commitment to sri leone. >> good question. by exit from "grey's anatomy" was a cat list. even in loss you gain. even in loss you win. even in l you get a w. >> after making that discovery you're 99% of sri leone ancestry you've committed yourself to building schools, changing lives of young people and their parents. does it bring you greater gratification than reaching a pinnacle of your acting career ever could >> i get to be on the world stage. seeing the smile on these faces that would never have had an opportunity get an education ever. >> so this helped remove some of the misgivings you had about your blackness. >> completely. >> that was imposed on you by all kind of experiences along the way. that made you feel insecure? >> inadequate. ugly. >> inferior? >> unattractive. all it. broad nose. full lips. the whole thing. all those negatives

preston burke on "grey's anatomy" in the four years since his controversial departure, he opened a schoold in "law & order" and wrote "a man from another land" had he writing -- it didn't take long to realize how the casualty he played had an impact. he talks to me face-to-face. >> before you get knocked off the horse and you were at the pinnacle of your acting career success, and you were able to say, you know, these have been some of my favorite bodies of work. what were they? before "grey's anatomy". >> it was projects i chose, like "love jones" always about ten years before its time. >> democrats want to keep us docile. >> i did it intentionally, because i wanted people to think. ironically this character ace name was george washington, you know. that was my favorite film. any of my spike lee films were there, but "dancing with september" i think was the one where i got to play at the height of my intellect, so to speak. >> when "grey's anatomy" came calling, no one could predict. >> oh, i did. they changed the name to "complications" for like eight days. i was the only one, including

. >> i am preston burke. >> to have that experience at "grey's anatomy" not played out the way it didthe inspiration to talk about this self-discovery or mission -- >> that's a good question. obviously, my exit from grace kaz definitely a catalyst. in even in loss, you gain. even in loss, you win. >> after making that discovery that you're the 99.9% an ses tri, you have committed yourself to building schools, been changing lives of young people and their parents. does this bring you greater gratification than reaching a pin cal of your acting career ever could? >> i get to be on the world stage. seeing the smile on these faces that would have never had an opportunity to get an education ever. >> this helped remove some of the misgivings you had about your blackness. >> completely. >> that was imposed on you by all kinds of experiences along the way that made you feel insecure. >> inadequate. ugly. >> inferior. >> unattractive, all of it, broad nose, full lips, the whole thing. all of those negatives went away. >> and that's what's extraordinary because you xud through your characters

preston burke on the hit tv show "grey's anatomy."ce the controversial departure from the show, he starred in tv's "law and order." he also wrote "a man from another land." in his book he writes it didn't take long to realize the impact the doctor had on his character. he was riding high in his career. >> before you get knocked off that horse and you were at the pinnacle of your acting career success, and you were able to say, you know, these have been some of my favorite bodies of work, what were they before "grey's anatomy"? >> it seemed like products i would choose like love jones, which was ten years before its time. i did it intentionally because i wanted people to think. ironically, this character's name was george washington. so that was my favorite film. and "clockers." any of my psych films, but "dancing in september" was one where i got to play at the height of my intellect, so to speak. >> so when "grey's anatomy" came calling, no one could predict it would be the kind of success that it was. >> i did. >> you did? >> i was