[1][2] Lasker was born in Los Angeles County, California.

He is the son of actor Jane Greer and producer Edward Lasker.

He graduated from the Phillips Exeter Academy in 1967 and attended Yale University, as did his father.

Lasker and Walter F. Parkes were nominated for an Academy Award in screenwriting in 1983 for WarGames.

In 2023, Lasker won the Future of Life Award for reducing the risk of nuclear war through the power of storytelling.