He was awarded the 1983 Joseph Jefferson Award for Actor in a Principal Role in a Play for "The Man Who Had Three Arms" at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.
In his short career he shared the screen with such stars as Paul Newman, Rod Steiger, and George Kennedy.
Playwright Terrence McNally wrote the drama "Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune" soon after losing his two best friends, Drivas and James Coco to AIDS and heart disease, respectively.