He is known for his roles in films such as Dead Man's Shoes (2004), Control (2007), RocknRolla (2008), Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010), War Horse (2011), Wrath of the Titans (2012), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), Fantastic Four (2015), Warcraft (2016), A Monster Calls (2016), Ben-Hur (2016), and Gold (2016).

Kebbell, the fourth of five children, was born in Pontefract, Yorkshire, but grew up in Nottinghamshire where he attended The Grove School (now the Newark Academy) in Balderton.

He was brought up by his mother, Michelle (née Mathers), a cook and landscape gardener and his father, Robert Kebbell, an engineer[4] from Zimbabwe.

He was nominated for Most Promising Newcomer at the British Independent Film Awards 2004[8] The same year, Kebbell appeared in Oliver Stone's Alexander and Woody Allen's Match Point.

In September 2008, Kebbell was featured in RocknRolla (winner of the Empire Award for Best British Film),[13] written and directed by Guy Ritchie,[13] alongside actors Tom Wilkinson, Gerard Butler and Thandiwe Newton.