Norris has appeared in films such as Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Hard to Kill (1990), Total Recall (1990), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), The Firm (1993), Starship Troopers (1997), The Cell (2000), Little Miss Sunshine (2006), Evan Almighty (2007), Sons of Liberty (2015), The Book of Henry (2017), Death Wish (2018), Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019) and Carry On (2024).

Dean Joseph Norris was born in South Bend, Indiana,[2] in a family of Hungarian descent; his grandfather lived in Tiszadob.

He played Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Hank Schrader on Breaking Bad from the show's premiere in 2008 to its final season in 2013.

He plays selectman James "Big Jim" Rennie, the only town council member in the area which is cut off from the rest of the United States.

In 2020, Norris reprised the role of Agent Hank Schrader on-screen in the Breaking Bad prequel Better Call Saul during the show's fifth season.