Best known for his TV roles on Alias, Lost, and Felicity, Greg Grunberg is also a devoted father of three and a tireless activist. He is the celebrity face behind the Pediatric Epilepsy Foundation, which strives to find a cure for this disease that affects millions of kids--including his son Jake. Greg told us about his fundraising efforts, his new TV gig, and sleeping through his first commercial audition.

You left the role of a CIA agent on the hugely popular Alias to begin another new TV series. How come?

I'm going to miss the people on the show more than anything. It was a great job. My character, CIA agent Eric Weiss, was the everyman, vulnerable, caring, and with a heart–a friend to all. But sometimes you have to take the chance on something new.

So what is this new series?

It's an NBC comedy called Grand Union , kind of a suburban Seinfeld . I play Tom, a family man, head of the household and totally out of control of his family. I manage a grocery store called Grand Union and live on Long Island.

How did you get into acting?

My older brother Brad was making a living doing standup comedy and warming up sitcom audiences. And he would throw me a couple of warm-ups–he'd get two shows on one night, and he'd do one, and I'd do one. My first paying job was a Computer Learning Center commercial that I was two hours late for. I slept through the call. But I still got the job. I couldn't believe it.

What was your first big break?

The first really big break was the WB show Felicity [in which Greg played an idea guy named "Sean," always searching for the next new gadget to make money].

Wasn't your character Jewish on Felicity and actually on Alias too ?

Yes, it's nice to play a Jewish character not in a stereotypical way or over the top. When my character on Felicity had testicular cancer and turned to his religion, I got a great response. Our rabbi's wife was a fan of the show and came to the set.

Did you belong to any Jewish youth groups or go to a Jewish camp?

I had a bar mitzvah and went to Hebrew School, but I never went to any Jewish camps. I regret it. My friends have the fondest memories of that. Our kids–Jake, 9, Ben, 6, and Sammy, 2--will definitely go. They go to Hebrew School, and I'm relearning things through them.

What were you like as a teenager?

I was everybody's best friend. I had such a wide range of friends--the geeky guys who were into Dungeons and Dragons, the popular kids, the kids who played basketball.

Any other teenage memories?

I had to sing "You Made me Love You" to a roomful of teachers in junior high, and I don't sing. But no one else wanted to do it. I was nervous, but as soon as I got the first word out I was OK. I really hammed it up.

What do you wish you knew as a teenager?

That it's okay to be a dork. You don't have to pretend that you're cool. I didn't booze it up or get high–that just wasn't me. It's okay to not do that stuff.

What advice would you give kids now?

I would tell kids to enjoy every second of their lives and do what makes them the happiest. If they find a hobby or an art form that they find enjoyment in at a young age, stick with it and take it as far as you can.

What's on your to-do list?
I would love to find a cure for epilepsy, number one, and find a way that my son would never have a seizure again. Other than that, I want to continue doing what I'm doing. I've wanted to do a sitcom for a long time, and being the lead of the show is an incredible opportunity.

How did you get involved with the Pediatric Epilepsy Project?

My oldest son has epilepsy. The project was born to give my wife and I something active to do instead of just sitting there, holding my son when he was having a seizure. The Project had been around for three years, and the most that was raised was $3,500 at a tea benefit. It helps to put a celebrity name behind raising funds for a cure. I'm hardly a huge celebrity, but I'm doing what I can. We recently raised over $300,000 at a guitar auction, which included The Mick Fleetwood guitar that went for $15,000, and the Brian Wilson guitar for $15,000.

How can JVibe readers help?

Go to CelebrityCards.com and purchase greeting cards to benefit the Pediatric Epilepsy Project (www.4pep.org).

This article originally appeared in the Jan/Feb '06 issue of JVibe.

Gerri Miller reports from Los Angeles about entertainment and lifestyle for a variety of print and Internet outlets, including CosmoGirl!, Life & Style Weekly and Glamour.