Jeff’s entertainment career began as an actor in the early 1980s. He trained with legendary acting coaches Sanford Meisner and Stella Adler, seeking the best possible foundation. He believed that training and dedication in learning a technique that one can always rely on are the keys to success, including having passion and persistence for whatever one does. Jeff says, “Never give up. If you feel it’s your life’s passion, don’t listen to anyone, just your heart and soul.”

Jeff met Robert Altman, the legendary Director, and Gerald Greenberg, the renowned editor who worked on films like Carrie, Scarface, and Kramer vs Kramer, which won Gerry an Oscar. They both taught Jeff how to run a set and tell a story. He believes that great storytelling sense is everything; if a person is not a great storyteller in life, it will be hard to tell great stories in their career. Jeff feels he was born to be a filmmaker; it’s in his blood. He transitioned from being an actor to a director because directing allowed him to be in charge. Full reign keeps you working a whole year, whereas being an actor means being at everyone’s disposal and working sporadically.

Jeff began directing and producing his first short, Dickwad, in 1994. It won multiple awards and attracted an investor who created a company for Jeff to direct his first feature, Under the Hula Moon, in 1995. That also won awards and was successful enough for Jeff to go on to direct 13 more films, including Primary Suspect with William Baldwin and Lee Majors (2000), Moscow Heat with Michael York (2004), and Breaking Point with Tom Berenger and Armand Assante (2009). More recent features include The Hill with Dennis Quaid (2023) and Blackwater Lane with Dermot Mulroney (2024).