Dominic Purcell grew up in Australia and attended the prestigious Australian Theatre for Young People. After beginning his training there, he attended the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts alongside fellow actors Hugh Jackman and Francis O'Connor. After graduating, Purcell quickly landed a leading role in the Australian television series Raw FM.

Purcell was soon thereafter cast as a nemesis in the feature film Mission Impossible 2 starring Tom Cruise and directed by John Woo. He also recently completed the film Equilibrium with Christian Bale and Emily Watson, in which he plays a futuristic freedom fighter, and the upcoming The Visitors, in which he stars opposite Radha Mitchell.

Other television credits include First Daughter opposite Mariel Hemingway and Moby Dick with Gregory Peck and Patrick Stewart.

His theater credits include Antony and Cleopatra, Angels In America, The Pillars of Society and Romeo and Juliet.