An American film and stage actor. He landed his first feature role in the movie Dead Man Walking in 1995. He then appeared in the 1998 independent films Another Day in Paradise and Desert Blue. That same year, he received a substantial role in The Man in the Iron Mask (1998), playing Raoul, the son of Athos. He later achieved critical recognition when he was cast in Boys Don't Cry (1999) as John Lotter. He landed his first leading role in the 2001 film The Center of the World. The following year, he played supporting roles in Empire, The Salton Sea, and K-19: The Widowmaker. For his portrayal of Charles Lane in Shattered Glass, he was nominated for the 2004 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor. He has appeared in an eclectic range of films, including the 2004 comedy Garden State, the biographical film Kinsey (2004), the drama The Dying Gaul (2005) and big-budget films such as Flightplan (2005), Jarhead (2005), Orphan (2009), Knight and Day (2010), and the upcoming 2011 superhero film Green Lantern.

He is married to actress Maggie Gyllenhaal.