Wilkinson made his acting debut in 1976 and worked on several British television series, most notably the mini-series "First Among Equals" (1986). He first gained critical acclaim with his appearance as Mr Pecksniff, in the BBC's 1994 adaptation of "Martin Chuzzlewit". Wilkinson made only the occasional film, including a brief appearance in 1995's "Sense and Sensibility" and a villain in "The Ghost and the Darkness" (1996). After becoming part of the ensemble cast of the comedy-drama "The Full Monty" in 1997, a role which earned him a BAFTA, he began to take film roles more frequently, including supporting roles in "Oscar and Lucinda", "Wilde", "Shakespeare in Love", and "The Patriot". He also starred with Jackie Chan in the 1998 film "Rush Hour", as the evil British Ambassador/Juntao.