In 1995, Lazard landed what should have been his big break, the role of a charming stockbroker with a penchant for womanizing on the much-hyped primetime CBS soap "Central Park West", but the series floundered and despite some retooling and a title change (to "CPW"), the show was one of the more high-profile casualties of that season. He had a role in the direct-to-video release "The Big Fall" (1997), directed by C Thomas Howell, but his career seemed at a standstill. Working in partnership with his brother Marc through their Lazard Productions, he began to create material for himself. Lazard did land the prominent role of an astronaut infected by alien DNA in "Species II" (1998), which included a sexy romp with Natasha Henstridge. He went on to produce the thriller "Dark Harbor" (also 1998), which he co-scripted with director Adam Coleman Howard. Lazard also served as executive producer on "Stanley's Gig" (2000), written and directed by his brother.