An American producer, born in New Rochelle, New York, United States, to Leo Jaffe, a film executive. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School. He joined the production company Seven Arts Associates after earning a bachelor's degree in economics. After becoming the executive assistant to the company's president, he worked for CBS for two years following Warner Brothers' 1967 acquisition of Seven Arts. He is known for Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) and Fatal Attraction (1987).