[6] Sawaya began his career in 1951, first appearing in the film The Lady Says No, which starred Joan Caulfield and David Niven.

[6] Sawaya appeared and performed as a stunt performer in numerous films, such as, Desert Legion (1953); Day of Triumph (1954); The Prodigal (1955); Andy Hardy Comes Home (1958); The Walking Target (1960); Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962); Come Blow Your Horn (1963); Fort Courageous (1965); Batman (1966); Hello, Dolly!

[7] Sawaya began his television debut in 1952, where he played the role of the Hispanic character "Detective Lopez" on Jack Webb's Dragnet until 1957.

He made guest-starring appearances in Bonanza, The Wild Wild West, Mannix, Star Trek: The Original Series, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Rockford Files, The Time Tunnel, Mission: Impossible, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Columbo, Kolchak: The Night Stalker and Get Smart.

[6] He also made an appearance in the legal drama television series Perry Mason episode, "The Case of the Malicious Mariner".