Hirsch began acting on television roles in the late 1990s. He starred in the
Showtime original film
Wild Iris (2001), with
Laura Linney and
Gena Rowlands. He made his cinematic film debut for
The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys (2002) and next starred with
Kevin Kline in ''
The Emperor's Club'' (2002). In 2004, Hirsch starred in
The Girl Next Door. He starred with
Jeff Daniels and
Sigourney Weaver in the limited release
Imaginary Heroes (2004). In 2005, Hirsch starred in
Catherine Hardwicke's film
Lords of Dogtown (2005) about a group of skaters in the 1970s and their role in the birth of skateboard culture. Hirsch played
Jay Adams. He played a character based on a real-life drug dealer,
Jesse James Hollywood, in
Alpha Dog (2006). Hirsch played
Christopher McCandless in
Into the Wild (2007). He lost 40 pounds for the role, which earned him a
Screen Actors Guild nomination for best actor.
Esquire said, "[Hirsch] creates a vivid, unforgettable character you at once admire and pity." Hirsch had the title role in
the Wachowskis'
Speed Racer, which was released on May 9, 2008 and was a
box office bomb. Hirsch played gay-rights activist
Cleve Jones in
Gus Van Sant's biopic
Milk (2008). He also appeared in
Ang Lee's
Taking Woodstock (2009), based on a screenplay of the
Elliot Tiber memoir
Taking Woodstock. He then starred in
William Friedkin's 2011
southern gothic thriller
Killer Joe. In April 2011, he was cast in
Oliver Stone's
Savages, which was released in July 2012. In 2012, Hirsch starred with
Penélope Cruz in
Venuto al Mondo, a film by Italian director
Sergio Castellitto. In 2013, he was in
Prince Avalanche, co-starring
Paul Rudd. Hirsch starred in
The Motel Life, co-starring
Dakota Fanning and
Stephen Dorff, directed by the Polsky brothers. In 2013, he starred with
Holliday Grainger,
Holly Hunter, and
William Hurt in the miniseries
Bonnie & Clyde. Hirsch co-starred in the film
Lone Survivor, based on the memoir of Navy SEAL
Marcus Luttrell. In February 2017, it was announced that Hirsch would star with
Aubrey Plaza in the comedy
An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn. In May 2018, Hirsch became the new voice for character James Lake Jr. in the Netflix original DreamWorks show
Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia from
Guillermo del Toro, replacing
Anton Yelchin in its third season following his death. Hirsch continues to reprise the role of Jim in
3 Below,
Wizards and
Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans. In 2019, Hirsch portrayed Hollywood hairdresser and
Manson family victim
Jay Sebring in the film
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. == Music ==