He played the character of Dr. Gabriel Fife in the ABC drama series Private Practice.
[4] Thornton received a Jeff Nomination for his performance in The Gift's premiere of ensemble member Andrew Hinderaker's Suicide, Incorporated.
[4] In 2005, he won the Jeff Award for Best Actor in a Solo Performance for his role in The Good Thief at The Gift Theatre.
[4] As a writer, his plays have been workshopped in New York through Young Playwrights, Inc. and in Chicago through Second City.
[4] Thornton has appeared in episodes of Elementary (CBS), The Exorcist (FOX), Private Practice, The Chicago Code, Ron Howard's The Dilemma, and the independent feature film The View From Tall.