A Dutch-born actor, Yorick van Wageningen started off his career on stage and later appeared in Dutch films and television series, including De wederopstanding van een klootzak (2013). After establishing a successful career, Wageningen moved to Hollywood and bagged a role in The Chronicles of Riddick, which made the actor a known name in the film industry. Since his Hollywood debut, he has been a part of films like The New World (2005), The Blue Hour (2007), Winter in Wartime (2008) and The Way (2010).

In 2011, he played the role of an abusive guardian Nils Bjurman in the Daniel Craig starrer The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. He has also acted in films like 47 Ronin (2013) and Blackhat (2015). His other projects include Escape Room.