- 2008: Cast as the villainous Emil Blonsky opposite Edward Norton in "The Incredible Hulk"
- 2007: Starred in "Youth Without Youth," Francis Ford Coppola's first directed film in ten years
- 2006: Co-starred in Wim Wenders' neo-Western "Don't Come Knocking" with Sam Shepard
- 2005: Cast opposite Jennifer Connelly in the thriller "Dark Water"
- 2004: Cast in John Sayles’ political satire "Silver City"
- 2001: Cast as the villainous ape General Thade in Tim Burton's adaptation of "Planet of the Apes"
- 2000: Appeared with John Travolta and Lisa Kudrow in Nora Ephron's "Lucky Numbers"
- 1999: Made a critically acclaimed debut as a director with, "The War Zone"
- 1998: Played a music prodigy who spent his entire life on board a luxury liner in "The Legend of 1900"
- 1997: Essayed real-life mobster Dutch Schultz in "Hoodlum"
- 1997: Teamed with rapper Tupac Shakur in the gritty crime drama "Gridlock'd"
- 1996: Co-starred with Drew Barrymore in Woody Allen's musical comedy "Everyone Says I Love You"
- 1995: 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
- 1995: First mainstream Hollywood film lead, as the villainous Archibald Cunningham in "Rob Roy"; received Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor
- 1994: Played Marlow in the TNT adaptation of "Heart of Darkness"
- 1994: Acted the part of a Russian-Jewish hitman in "Little Odessa"
- 1994: Cast as Pumpkin in Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction"
- 1993: Portrayed noted American serial killer Charles Starkweather in the bleak ABC miniseries "Murder in the Heartland"
- 1992: Breakthrough performance as the villainous Mr. Orange in "Reservoir Dogs"; first collaboration with Tarantino
- 1991: Moved to Los Angeles
- 1990: Cast opposite Gary Oldman in the film version of Tom Stoppard's play "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead"
- 1990: Played the artist Vincent Van Gogh in Robert Altman's "Vincent & Theo"
- 1989: Had featured role in the eccentric comedy, "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover"
- 1985: US TV debut, "Agatha Christie's 'Murder With Mirrors'" (CBS)
- 1984: Feature acting debut as an apprentice hitman in Stephen Frears' "The Hit"
- 1982: Acting debut, playing a white power skinhead in Alan Clarke's TV-movie, "Made in Britain"
- 1982: Appeared in Mike Leigh's "Meantime"; first screen collaboration with Gary Oldman
- 1980: Attended art school to learn sculpting before switching to acting
- 1977: Acting debut in a school production of "Dracula" at age 16
- Worked on stage with the Glasgow Citizen's Theatre, the Royal Court and the Oval House




