Beginning his career as a stuntman, Terry Serpico discovered his acting talent while performing dangerous scenes for other actors. He began taking on acting roles around 1997, when he landed a role in the gangster film Donnie Brasco. A long string of minor appearances followed, and Serpico's tough appearance frequently landed him parts as members of the military, police force, and criminal underworld. He appeared in movies like Frequency, Hannibal, The Departed, and Michael Clayton, and has also enjoyed recurring roles on the TV series Rescue Me and Army Wives.