His prominent roles include Itchy in Dick Tracy, Max Kale in Walker, Texas Ranger, Colonel Perry in Universal Soldier, Lt. Touchdown in Full Metal Jacket, ruthless Georgian mobster Viktor Rustaveli in Red Heat, and police detective Cliff Willis in The Hidden.

[citation needed] He auditioned for two Major League Baseball teams (the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals) but was not selected.

[3] He has appeared in many films and has played several Russian characters, including [in fact Georgian] villain Viktor Rustaveli / Viktor Rosta in Walter Hill's action film Red Heat; Nikolai, one of Ruth Fisher's love interests on the HBO series Six Feet Under; and Leo, a sandwich shop owner on Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Other films of his include Dreams of Gold: The Mel Fisher Story, The Pope of Greenwich Village, The Cotton Club, Full Metal Jacket, Lethal Weapon, The Hidden, Action Jackson, Another 48 Hrs., Universal Soldier, Dick Tracy, Hoodlum, Curious George, A Green Story,[4] The Harsh Life of Veronica Lambert and Sorority Party Massacre.

Guest television appearances include Stingray, Boston Legal, Seinfeld, Walker, Texas Ranger, CSI: NY, The Outsiders and Moonlighting (in the episode "Brother, Can You Spare A Blonde?").