An accomplished American actor, director, and producer, he was born into a family with deep roots in the entertainment industry. He studied at Colgate University and New York University before launching a successful acting career in the late 1960s. He gained recognition for roles in films like "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "Gosford Park." Transitioning to directing, he helmed projects such as "Parents" and TV episodes for series like "Oz" and "The Twilight Zone." His versatile career spans decades in both film and television.