The Maryland resident entered the film business in 1984 as producer (with Joe Roth) of "The Stone Boy," starring Robert Duvall and Glenn Close. He served next as producer of "Where the River Runs Black" and "Streets of Gold." The latter film was directed by Roth, his eventual partner in the founding of Morgan Creek Productions.

Morgan Creek has since become one of Hollywood's leading independent film entities, with "Young Guns" and "Young Guns II," "Dead Ringers, "Major League" and "Major League II," "Enemies, A Love Story," the 1991 blockbuster "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves," "The Crush," "True Romance," the two breakout comedy hits "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" and "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls," "Two If By Sea," "Diabolique," "Wild America," and "Incognito" among its list of releases. More than half of their films have opened in first place.