The decision to homeschool Embry was made after a teacher allegedly recommended Ritalin for the kindergartener after his first day of class.

After making his debut in Defending Your Life (1991), he starred in several films, including Dutch (1991), All I Want for Christmas (1991), A Far Off Place (1993), Empire Records (1995),[4] That Thing You Do!

[5] In 2002, Embry appeared as Bobby Ray Bailey opposite Reese Witherspoon in Sweet Home Alabama.

The two actors had previously worked together a decade prior in the 1993 live action Disney film A Far Off Place.

In 2018, Embry took a small role as astronaut Pete Conrad in the Damien Chazelle film First Man.