Da Vinci started out as a male model in his hometown, then moved to Hollywood, where he pursued a career in film. First, he worked as a tour guide at Warner Bros. and in the studio's publicity department. Here, he also met actor and dancer George B. Ellsworth, who became his life-long partner. Da Vinci was a stand-in and double for Anthony Perkins in Alfred Hitchcock's classic Psycho, which was written by Joseph Stefano, based on a novel by Robert Bloch, and featured John Anderson in the cast. Da Vinci's silhouette can be seen in the famous shower murder scene.