He is known for playing Ron Slater in Dazed and Confused, Lucas in Empire Records, Lee Schatz in Argo, Freck in A Scanner Darkly, and Tim Speedle in CSI: Miami.

[2] Cochrane's first roles included a part in a docudrama about drugs on Saturday Night with Connie Chung (1989) and an appearance in an episode of H.E.L.P.

Cochrane's breakout role came when he was cast as stoner Ron Slater in 1993's Dazed and Confused, a film that Entertainment Weekly ranked #3 in their "50 Best High School Movies" of all-time.

Cochrane again found success with a major role in the comedy Empire Records and appeared in Hart's War starring Bruce Willis and Colin Farrell.

In 2015, Cochrane had a supporting role as Boston mobster Stephen Flemmi in the true-crime film Black Mass, which starred Johnny Depp.