The New Jersey native studied acting at the University of Miami, where he befriended Steven Bauer (Scarface). His first acting roles were in television, including soap opera Another World and several short-lived TV series. He made his debut on the big screen with the black comedy Something Wild in 1986, which garnered him rave reviews. He was immediately inundated with offers to reprise his psycho role but he turned them down to avoid being typecast. Instead, he opted to play gentler roles in films such as Dominick and Eugene (1988) and Field of Dreams (1989). The 1990 Martin Scorsese film Good Fellas brought him international fame and lead billing in his subsequent films Article 99, Unlawful Entry and Unforgettable.
