- 2008: Co-starred as an Iraq War veteran in Neil Burger's "The Lucky Ones" with Michael Pena and Rachel McAdams
- 2008: Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
- 2006: Co-starred in the political thriller "Catch a Fire," directed by Phillip Noyce
- 2005: Starred with Tom Cruise in Steven Spielberg's "War of the Worlds," based on H.G. Wells' novel
- 2003: Starred in director Clint Eastwood's psychological thriller "Mystic River," as a man traumatized from having been molested as a child
- 2002: Acted opposite Helen Hunt in the Actors' Gang production of the 9/11 themed two-person play "The Guys"
- 2002: Directed the CBS TV pilot "Queens Supreme"
- 2001: Portrayed a billionaire software manufacturer in the thriller "Antitrust"
- 2001: Resumed position as artistic director of the Actors' Gang Theater; directed new production of "Mephisto"
- 2001: Teamed with Patricia Arquette as a scientist who discovers a feral man in the Charlie Kaufman scripted "Human Nature"
- 2000: Acted in Brian De Palma's "Mission to Mars"
- 1999: Starred opposite Jeff Bridges in the thriller "Arlington Road"
- 1999: Contributed a cameo as the President in "Austin Powers II: The Spy Who Shagged Me"
- 1999: Directed second feature, "Cradle Will Rock"; again collaborated with Cusack and Sarandon
- 1997: Played a hotshot advertising executive who goes on a rampage in Steve Oedekerk's "Nothing to Lose"
- 1995: Earned an Academy Award nomination as Best Director for "Dead Man Walking"; starred Sarandon who won the Oscar for Best Actress
- 1994: Cast as the wide-eyed patsy of the Coen brothers' extravagant "The Hudsucker Proxy"
- 1994: Changed production company name from Chaos to Havoc, Inc.
- 1994: Final film collaboration with Altman "Prêt-à-Porter (Ready to Wear)"
- 1994: Starred alongside Morgan Freeman in the critically acclaimed "The Shawshank Redemption"; based on Stephen King's short story
- 1993: Formed Chaos Productions
- 1993: Second collaboration with Altman, playing an unethical cop in the ensemble, "Short Cuts"
- 1992: Feature directorial debut, "Bob Roberts"; also starred as the titular character and penned the script
- 1992: First teaming with Altman, playing an amoral movie executive in "The Player"; featured an ensemble cast
- 1990: Played a crazed, simple-minded husband who takes everyone hostage in a car dealership in the comedy "Cadillac Man"
- 1990: Starred as the troubled Vietnam veteran of the underrated "Jacob's Ladder"; directed by Adrian Lyne
- 1989: First time headlining a feature as the eponymous "Erik the Viking"
- 1989: Co-wrote and directed The Actors Gang production of "Carnage"
- 1988: Acted opposite John Cusack in the energetic but pretentious "Tapeheads"
- 1988: Breakthrough role as 'Nuke' LaLoosh in Ron Shelton's baseball comedy "Bull Durham"; met future significant other Susan Sarandon
- 1986: First feature lead in the disastrous "Howard the Duck"; produced by George Lucas
- 1985: Played Joseph Cotton in the CBS TV-movie "Malice in Wonderland"
- 1985: Wrote and filmed an early version of 'Bob Roberts' for "Saturday Night Live" (NBC)
- 1984: Made Film debut in "No Small Affair"
- 1983: Made TV-movie debut in CBS' "Quarterback Princess"
- 1981: Co-founded with a group of fellow UCLA students The Actors' Gang in Los Angeles (served as artistic director until 1997)
- 1970: Joined the Theater for the New City by age 12
- 1967: First acting experience at age nine, playing St Peter in a Catholic school play
- 1960: Family moved to Greenwich Village in NYC




