Having studied acting at the Actors Studio in New York, he was brought to California by the producer Hal B. Wallis. Prior to his directing career, he worked in Hollywood as an actor from 1954 to 1962.
In the mid-1980s, he left showbiz for a career in real estate.
Gave up direction in the mid-eighties and became a plumber.
He taught acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse on Robertson Boulevard.