Born and raised in Brooklyn, Pare originally studied at the Culinary Institute of America and was working as a chef when a modeling agent spotted him and signed him to a contract. He studied with the legendary acting teacher Uta Hagen and in 1981 landed his first professional jobs, the busted pilot "Crazy Times" (ABC) and a berth on the series "The Greatest American Hero" (ABC). In the latter, he was one of the brooding students taught by the high school teacher alter ego of the title character (played by William Katt).

Soon after the series ended, Pare was on the big screen in the leading role of an iconic 1950s rock star in "Eddie and the Cruisers" (1983). He followed as the renegade boyfriend of a kidnapped rock star (Diane Lane) in Walter Hill's unsatisfying "Street of Fire" (1984). Most of Pare's subsequent films have been unspectacular genre fare, many released direct-to-video (e.g., "Moon 44" 1990, "Point of Impact" 1993, "Warriors" 1995). The actor has also been featured in several sci-fi productions filmed in Canada for the Producers Network Association, including "Carver's Gate" (1995) and "The Cusp" (1996). He had a supporting role in a Hollywood production as the doomed husband of a pregnant woman (Linda Kozlowski) in John Carpenter's remake of "Village of the Damned" (1995).

Pare returned to the small screen as co-star of "Houston Knights" (CBS, 1987-88) depicting a high-strung Chicago policeman who transfers to Houston and runs into conflict with his new partner (Michael Beck). He has also appeared in the occasional made-for cable TV-movie including "Triplecross" (Showtime, 1995) or busted pilot, "The Colony" (ABC, 1996).