Acting debut in a school production of "Dracula" at age 16

Attended art school to learn sculpting before switching to acting

Worked on stage with the Glasgow Citizen's Theatre, the Royal Court and the Oval House

Acting debut, playing a white power skinhead in Alan Clarke's TV-movie, "Made in Britain"

Appeared in Mike Leigh's "Meantime"; first screen collaboration with Gary Oldman

Feature acting debut as an apprentice hitman in Stephen Frears' "The Hit"

US TV debut, "Agatha Christie's 'Murder With Mirrors'" (CBS)

Had featured role in the eccentric comedy, "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover"

Played the artist Vincent Van Gogh in Robert Altman's "Vincent & Theo"

Cast opposite Gary Oldman in the film version of Tom Stoppard's play "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead"

Moved to Los Angeles

Breakthrough performance as the villainous Mr. Orange in "Reservoir Dogs"; first collaboration with Tarantino

Portrayed noted American serial killer Charles Starkweather in the bleak ABC miniseries "Murder in the Heartland"

Played Marlow in the TNT adaptation of "Heart of Darkness"

Acted the part of a Russian-Jewish hitman in "Little Odessa"

Cast as Pumpkin in Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction"

First mainstream Hollywood film lead, as the villainous Archibald Cunningham in "Rob Roy"; received Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor

Provided the link for the various stories as Ted, the bellhop in the anthology film "Four Rooms"; only actor to appear in each of the four segments; helmed by Allison Anders, Tarantino, Alexandre Rockwell and Robert Rodriguez

Co-starred with Drew Barrymore in Woody Allen's musical comedy "Everyone Says I Love You"

Teamed with rapper Tupac Shakur in the gritty crime drama "Gridlock'd"

Essayed real-life mobster Dutch Schultz in "Hoodlum"

Played a music prodigy who spent his entire life on board a luxury liner in "The Legend of 1900"

Made a critically acclaimed debut as a director with, "The War Zone"

Appeared with John Travolta and Lisa Kudrow in Nora Ephron's "Lucky Numbers"

Cast as the villainous ape General Thade in Tim Burton's adaptation of "Planet of the Apes"

Cast in John Sayles’ political satire "Silver City"

Cast opposite Jennifer Connelly in the thriller "Dark Water"

Co-starred in Wim Wenders' neo-Western "Don't Come Knocking" with Sam Shepard

Starred in "Youth Without Youth," Francis Ford Coppola's first directed film in ten years

Cast as the villainous Emil Blonsky opposite Edward Norton in "The Incredible Hulk"