Received first stage role in the play "Coriolanus" after actor Stephen Berkoff approached him in a London coffee shop

Cast as Ewan MacGregor's character Renton in the stage adaptation of the movie "Trainspotting"

Made his movie debut as Billy Connolly's younger brother in the "Mrs. Brown"

Had a small role in the James Bond Movie "Tomorrow Never Dies"

Appeared in Russell Mulchary's "Tale of the Mummy"

Cast in the lead role of Wes Craven's "Dracula 2000"

Cast in the breakthrough role of Attila the Hun in the USA movie "Attila"

Appeared opposite Christian Bale and Matthew McConaughey in "Reign of Fire"

Starred alongside Angelina Jolie as a British marine turned mercenary in "Tomb Raider 2: The Cradle of Life"

Cast as assistant professor Andre Marek in the big screen adaptation of Michael Crichton's novel "Timeline"

Starred in the adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical "The Phantom of the Opera," portraying the title character

Starred in "The Game of Their Lives" based on the true story of the 1950 US soccer team who, against all odds, beat England in the small town of Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Cast as the Spartan King Leonidas in Zack Snyder's "300," an adaptation of the Frank Miller graphic novel

Co-starred in "P.S. I Love You" with Hilary Swank

Portrayed Abigail Breslin's father in the adventure-fantasy film "Nim's Island"