Biography

Stage and screen actor mostly known for his role in Saturday Night Fever (1977) as the brother of John Travolta's character. He is a member of The Actor's Studio.

Is the youngest out of four children born to Ottoman parents, both of Armenian and Assyrian descent, who were born in what is now Turkey. In the 1920's, his parents, a brother, and another relative left their home in modern-day Syria to immigrate to New York City by way of Cherbourg, France and ultimately settled in Dearborn, Michigan, likely to escape the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide.

He has a sister, Mary, and had two brothers: Sarkis and James. The former served in the U.S. army during the Second World War and was killed in action. He also had older paternal half-siblings, a male, George, and a female, also named Mary.

Has appeared in three different movies directed by Boaz Yakin: Fresh (1994), A Price Above Rubies (1998), and Uptown Girls (2003), with the first two also having been written by Yakin.

Graduated from Fordson High School in 1957.