Palter has performed in over 90 film and television shows, and in dozens of productions off-Broadway, in stock and regional theater. His major films include Titanic, First Monday in October, The Steagle, The Execution of Private Slovik, Badge of the Assassin and Rules of Marriage. His TV credits extend from The Flying Nun to recurring roles in Delvecchio and Doctors' Hospital and multiple appearances on L.A. Law. He has played in Theater venues ranging from Madison Square Garden to the New Mexico Repertory Company. His West Coast directing credits include the long-running Nuts at the L.A. Stage Company (for which he won Drama-logue and Data-Boy awards), Waiting for Godot and The Lover at the Century City Playhouse and numerous productions at UCLA, CSU-Northridge and CalArts.

He has guest directed at the Power Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, at the Professional Training Program at University of Washington and on five occasions at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. Formerly Head of the Acting Program at Carnegie-Mellon University, he also initiated the acting training program at The American Film Institute, developed a graduate acting program for UCLA and taught acting at the Ellenstein-Palter Studio and at the LA Civic Light Opera Music Theater Workshop. He holds a B.S. degree in Ceramic Engineering from Alfred University, an M.A. in Drama from Tufts, and a Ph.D. in Theater from Northwestern