A Drama Desk Award-winning actor ("A Whistle in the Dark" [1969] ) and a Tony Award nominee (as "Monsieur Colmier", "Marat/Sade" [1967] ), he began his career as a member of New York's Neighborhood Playhouse from 1940 to 1942, where he studied with noted acting instructor, Sanford Meisner, before joining the U.S. Merchant Marine during World War II. Upon his return, he made his Broadway debut in 1945 in "The Tempest". His stepson, David Hirson, told the Los Angeles Times in an interview that his stepfather was always proudest of his stage work.

His mother died soon after his birth, during the Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918, and he was raised by his father, who was a textile worker, and his stepmother.

Most of his acting successes in films came after he reached the age of fifty, although he was a pioneering actor in the days of early television, notably as the third actor, though he had the longest tenure (1950-55),after Bram Nossen and Hal Conklin to play "Dr. Pauli", nemesis of "Captain Video" on the daily TV series, _"Captain Video and His Video Rangers" (1949-1955) over the DuMont Television Network. His portrayal of "Burt Johnson" in Arthur (1981) earned praise from the New York Times as a "standout performance".