Born on August 31, 1949, in Philadelphia, he is the second of five children; his father, Homer, was as a salesman, and his mother was Doris. He started early as a musician, playing a number of instruments in high school and writing music for high school productions. He graduated from North Syracuse Central High School in 1967, and won a gymnastics scholarship to the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, where he majored in philosophy. He left college after two years to pursue acting, landing a lead role in the London production of the rock musical "Grease" in 1973.
The following year he would be in other plays, such as "Taming of the Shrew." Onscreen, he had a few roles, and gained recognition in Buscando al señor Goodbar (1977).This status was reaffirmed by Oficial y caballero (1982). In 1990 he teamed up with Julia Roberts to star in the blockbuster Pretty Woman.