Born and raised in New Jersey, John is the son of Henry and Lois Herzfeld. His father was a World War II hero, winner of the bronze star, and instrumental in the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp. John went first to Memphis State University and then transferred to the University of Miami, finally leaving college to travel around the world for a year. Many jobs and adventures later he returned to New York to pursue a career as an actor, writer and director.
After appearing in movies such as Death Wish and Serpicio, Herzfeld guest starred in many television shows including playing Starsky's brother in Starsky & Hutch. Moving behind the camera Herzfeld wrote, produced and directed several distinguished and highly-rated television films, including; The Ryan White Story with George C. Scott and Sarah Jessica Parker, Daddy with Dermot Mulroney and Patricia Arquette, The Preppie Murder with Danny Aiello and Sandra Bullock, A Fathers Revenge with Brian Dennehy and Stoned for which he won a directing Emmy and was nominated for writing.
Herzfeld went on to win the Directors Guild of America Award and an Emmy nomination for his HBO film Don King: Only in America starring Ving Rhames. The film was nominated for two Golden Globes, won the Critics Choice Award, the Writers Guild of America Award and the coveted Peabody Award, the industry's most prestigious honor.
John wrote and directed the stylishly searing 15 Minutes, starring Robert De Niro, Ed Burns, Kelsey Grammer and Vera Farmiga and wrote and directed 2 Days in the Valley, which introduced Charlize Theron to the world.
