Artistic partner of fellow rapper/actor Redman, Method Man was also an original member of the hip-hop group the Wu-Tang Clan before his solo rap career began. He made two solo albums, the first of which contained the original version of the Grammy award-winning single "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By," featuring Mary J. Blige, as well as numerous collaborations with the likes of Redman, Notorious B.I.G. Method Man has subsequently continued to accumulate a broad range of credits.

Featured in Brian Robbins' documentary The Show (1995), preceded by appearances in his own music videos, Method Man officially became an actor in the late 1990s when he appeared in The Great White Hype, Copland, and Belly. He also played a small role in Kevin Reynolds' 187 (1997) and made a guest appearance on an episode of the pseudo-animated series Space Ghost Coast to Coast in 1996.

Method Man has made many cameo appearances as himself, in roles ranging from walk-on to starring, in all genres including the film Black and White (1999), the video Backstage: Hard Knock Life, and as the host of the television series Stung in 2002. The HBO dramatic prison series Oz featured Method Man in a 2001 season episode. His acting credits continued with the feature films How High with Redman and Obba Babatunde, and Brown Sugar with Queen Latifah in 2002.

Additionally, his background as a rapper aided Method Man's involvement in the film industry, as he is accredited on several soundtracks from the 1990s and 2000s. Soundtrack credits include the major motion pictures Batman Forever, Space Jam, Gone in Sixty Seconds, Rush Hour 2, and All About the Benjamins.

He continued to work steadily in a variety of projects including Scary Movie 3, Garden State, Soul Plane, The Wackness, The Sitter, and Red Tails as well as contributing to a number of music documentaries.