Trained in drama at Juilliard, he was a mime and a stand-up comic before starring as a loony alien in the seventies sitcom Mork and Mindy, a role that made him a household name.

在他出演七十年代的电视系列片《莫克和明迪》之前他在朱莉亚戏剧学院学习，是一个哑剧演员和单口喜剧演员。在《莫克和明迪》中他主演一个疯狂的外星人，该角色使他家喻户晓。