When he was 11 he wanted to be a comedian like Sid Ceasar then when he was 15 and saw Lee J Cobb in 'Death of a Salesman' he decided he would be a comedy actor. and found that Mel Brooks was a great influence on his screen writing. He combined both talents with directing in'The World's Greatest Lover followed by 'Sherlock Holmes Smarter Brother' which he just acted in and directed.