Before he started writing, he boxed professionally as Tex Frontier.

[of 'Paddy Chayevsky'] Paddy was an extraordinarily good human manipulator. He knew his way around a scrap as very few writers do. Most writers, if they get into a fight or a bad situation on a movie, call their agents. But Paddy knew Hollywood and he wouldn't back down. He would go head to head with anybody -and, at the same time, he had this incredible writer's sensibility. That's a rare combination which many of us don't have. he was that rare breed of talent and fighter.