Portrayed the hilarious character Balki from the popular sitcom Perfect Strangers that ran from 1986 to 1993. Pinchot readily agrees that the tremendous success he achieved playing Balki Bartokomous was an amazing experience. Coming from a hard life that saw his abusive father leave his mother, and 2 other siblings when he was only 2 years at the time had strengthened his determination. With an encouraging and loving mother, he excelled academically and accepted a scholarship to Yale University.

After graduating with a major in acting, Pinchot landed his first feature film with 1983's Risky Business as Tom Cruise's sidekick. He is also known for his hilarious performance as an art gallery worker in the movie Beverly Hills Cop.