[5] Shipp began his career with a regular role on the daytime soap opera Guiding Light, playing Dr. Kelly Nelson[6] from 1980 to 1984.

[15] In November 2010, Shipp returned to daytime in the short-term role of villainous Eddie Ford on One Life to Live,[16] who was killed off in a murder mystery in mid-December.

Shipp filmed three episodes of the MTV series Teen Wolf as the abusive father of Daniel Sharman's character, which aired during the summer of 2012.

He also guest starred as Eobard Thawne, Barry's archenemy, in the animated series Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

[24] Shipp returned to the stage in 2016 as Juror #8 in Judson Theatre Company's production of Twelve Angry Men.