entering show business as a stand-in for jackie gleason in "the honeymooners" in 1955–56 and as a part-time writer for steve allen in the 1950s, he was discovered by mel brooks, who cast him in "the producers". the next year, he played the role of hank in "charly". he went on to act in dozens of films, including the role of liza minnelli's unemployed father in the hit 1981 film "arthur" and its 1988 sequel, "".