Fancher appeared in two Troy Donahue films: 1961's Parrish and 1962's Rome Adventure and was cast as Larry Wilson in the 1963 episode "Little Richard" of the CBS anthology series, GE True, hosted by Jack Webb. In 1965, he played the role of Hamp Fisher (a name very similar to his own), in the Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Silent Six." All in all, Fancher played roles in over fifty movies and television shows. During this time, he also had relationships with a variety of women, including Barbara Hershey and Teri Garr. Although he showed interest in screenwriting, it would take until 1977 for Fancher to transition fully into screenwriting. He continues to act occasionally.