[3] Hughes began his career in 2009 as Dr Harry Ingrams in the BBC spin-off series Casualty 1909 and Jonty Millingden in the ITV drama Trinity.

He made his feature film debut the following year as Chaz Jankel in the Ian Dury biopic Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll[2] and Bruce Pearson in the comedy-drama Cemetery Junction,[4][5] the latter of which earned him a BIFA nomination for Most Promising Newcomer.

[6] He also appeared in the Young Vic production of David Harrower's Sweet Nothings directed by Luc Bondy.

From 2016 to 2019, Hughes starred as Prince Albert opposite Jenna Coleman as the titular character of the ITV period drama Victoria.

[12] In 2019, it was announced Hughes would play the recurring role of Christopher Marlowe in the second series of A Discovery of Witches.