Born and raised in Hartford, CT, as one of four children. Studied two years at Juilliard and graduated from New York University graduate theater program with a B.F.A. degree in theater. Meanwhile he participated in the first of Joseph Papp's Shakespeare productions at the Park theater company. Later he supported himself by acting on and off Broadway and as "Mike Rivers" in the soap One Life to Live (1968). After that he moved to L.A. to guest-star in numerous TV series and TV movies.