Corbet began an acting career at age eleven with a guest role in an April 2000 episode of
CBS'
The King of Queens, and he followed it up with voice work in the English version of the animated Japanese series
NieA under 7. Over the next few years he was a regular on another animated series,
I My Me! Strawberry Eggs (2001), and he guest-starred in a May 2002 episode of the
WB sitcom
Greetings from Tucson. He also appeared in a May 2003 episode of Fox's sitcom
Oliver Beene. In 2003 he landed his first film role when he was cast in
Thirteen. In 2004 Corbet starred as the youngest son of a billionaire ex-astronaut in
Thunderbirds,
Jonathan Frakes' live-action movie based on the 1960s British T.V. series. Later that same year,
Gregg Araki cast him in
Mysterious Skin, based on the 1996 novel of the same name by
Scott Heim; Corbet portrayed a troubled teenager who is plagued by nightmares and believes that he may have been
abducted by aliens. The film debuted in that year's
Venice Film Festival and had a limited release in 2005. In 2006, Corbet returned to television with a recurring role as the son of
Jack Bauer's new girlfriend in the fifth season of
24. He also appeared in the independent rock band
Bright Eyes' music video "At the Bottom of Everything" (2005). In October 2006, he was featured in the
Ima Robot video for "Lovers in Captivity", which was produced independently of their
Virgin Records label and was featured in an
Out Magazine article. He played the role of Watts in the 2011 psychological thriller
Martha Marcy May Marlene. In 2013, Corbet signed to direct his first feature film,
The Childhood of a Leader. It premiered in the Horizons section of the
72nd Venice International Film Festival, where he won Best Director in the festival's
Horizons (Orizzonti) section. In 2018, Corbet directed his second feature film
Vox Lux. In September 2020, it was reported that Corbet would direct his third feature film, the immigrant drama
The Brutalist. The film was released in 2024 to critical acclaim and earned ten nominations at the
97th Academy Awards, including
Best Director and
Best Original Screenplay. He also won the
Silver Lion at the
81st Venice International Film Festival and
Best Director at the
82nd Golden Globe Awards. In November 2025, Corbet revealed that his next film would be an "
X-rated movie" that takes place "mostly in the 1970s", adding that the film would span from the 19th century to the present day, stating that it will be about
economy in California. The project is expected to begin filming in summer 2026. ==Personal life==