As a teenager, Perkins was a trackman and an athlete. He ran away from home at a young age and joined the crew of a Norwegian cargo ship as a deck hand.
In his early adult life, he left for Hollywood. He modified his Australian accent to be more British-sounding so that he could portray British characters. His first role was as an extra for The Divine Lady in 1929, while his first credited role was as Sgt. Cox in Journey's End the following year.
Eventually, Perkins became a regular stuntman for William Boyd. He also did stunt work for Bruce Cabot in King Kong and Spencer Tracy in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He also worked for Universal Pictures in Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man. Throughout his career, he acted and did stunts in many feature films and television shows. He also did some special effect work, normally for action sequences.
In 1960, Perkins co-founded the Stuntmen's Association of Motion Pictures. Four years later, he became the treasurer of the Screen Actors Guild, a position he held for fifteen years. His official retirement was in 1972, though he continued working for some years later. His last acting role was in The Prisoner of Zenda in 1979, but his last credited role was as a fantasy lover in Odyssey, the Ultimate Trip. He died in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, United States of natural causes.
