He disliked the experience so much that upon his return to Seattle 18 months later, he refused to speak the language except to translate for his younger sister, who only spoke French.

After seeing some of the movie being filmed, jumping into a few shots as an extra and meeting the star, Connie Stevens, he decided to pursue a career in show business.

He was in the service from 1980 to 1985 where he won letters of commendation and the Army Achievement Medal, but left early to pursue a career in show business.

In 1988, he moved to Los Angeles where he had immediate success, winning a "Hollywood's Hottest New Comic" competition, appearing on several stand-up comedy TV shows such as An Evening At The Improv and was picked up by ABC Television for a one-year holding deal.

The movie was very popular in overseas markets, especially India, where it played at the largest theater in Calcutta for over a year[2] and was even remade with an Indian cast under the title Sisindri.

In 1995, he replaced Thomas Haden Church on NBC's TV series Wings playing the part of mechanic Budd Bronski.

He has been cast frequently in dramatic roles, playing a detective in the Coen Brothers film The Man Who Wasn't There and Martin Scorsese's The Departed and Police Captain Hill in Tony Scott's The Taking of Pelham 123.

In February 2007, he appeared on Broadway as tennis commentator Ryan Becker in the Terrence McNally play Deuce, directed by Michael Blakemore.