A longstanding drama teacher in Los Angeles, San Francisco and nationwide, he has operated his own scene study studios for decades and has taught over 20,000 students at last count. He also lectures and conducts acting seminars throughout the US.
A producer, writer and director as well as a durable character actor, he was nominated for a Writer's Guild Award for an episode of TV's "The Streets of San Francisco" (1972) and collaborated on the screenplay for Power Play (1978) starring Peter O'Toole, which won the best screenplay award at the Canadian Film Festival.
Discovered for films by director Billy Wilder, who used him in four of his movies, playing both bad guys and lowbrow loser types.
Earned his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Dartmouth College and a Master's degree in Business Administration from UCLA.