As an actor, Jim starred in several Broadway shows in the 1980s, including Present Laughter, Design for Living, and the original production of Noises Off. Since then, he has appeared in numerous movies, such as Independence Day, Lethal Weapon 2, The Prestige, Best in Show, The Five-Year Engagement, A Mighty Wind, Kill Your Friends, and Woody Allen's You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger. He's also been seen in dozens of TV shows, like Modern Family, Mom, Two and a Half Men, Lost, Monk, Friends, ER, Mad About You, The Drew Carey Show, and Castle. He was also in the award-winning HBO series From the Earth to the Moon and starred in the CBS miniseries The Women of Windsor. In 2007 and 2012, Jim secured his reputation as one of the UK's most notable comedic exports when he starred on stage in Hollywood with Russell Brand, Billy Connolly, Tim Curry, Eric Idle, Eddie Izzard, Jane Leeves, Emily Mortimer, Tracey Ullman, and Sophie Winkleman in What About Dick? As a writer/producer, Jim's films include Tooth Fairy, The Man, and A Different Loyalty. With Christopher Guest, he co-wrote and starred in the HBO series Family Tree and Mascots for Netflix. Production on his film Frankel is due to start in 2022 in the UK.