凯恩曾是说唱组合CypressHill和HouseofPain的管理员。也曾是hip-hop组合TheWhooliganz一员（搭档是制作兼主持的TheAlchemist）。在进入位于洛杉矶的PlayhouseWest表演学校后，凯恩在九十年代后期开始演员生涯，出现在一些独立电影和小成本电影中。他的第一个重要电影角色是在《校园蓝调》（1990）中扮演了一个鲁莽的的德州足球运动员CharliesTweeder。同年也在电影《土星》(又名SpeedofLife)中饰演Drew一角。凯恩随后出现在一些制片厂影片中，如《冠军争霸》（2000）合作大卫·阿奎特，《抢钱大作战》(2000)合作范·迪塞尔和《无法无天》(2001)合作柯林·法瑞尔。在2003年，凯恩首次自导自演了电影《Dallas362》，该片也在03年的LasVegasFilmFestival中获奖凯恩出现在《十一罗汉》，《十二罗汉》，《十三罗汉》三部曲中。在2005年，凯恩再次与保罗·沃克合作动作电影《碧海追踪》（首次合作是在《校园蓝调》中）。凯恩编剧并执导了2006年的喜剧《狗的难题》，他也在本片中出演配角。
凯恩作为一个反复出现的角色ScottLavin出现在电视剧《明星伙伴》中。
凯恩在《天堂执法者》中饰演警探Danny"Danno"Williams。该剧在2010年9月20日首播。在2011年，他获得了第68届金球奖最佳男配角提名。
斯科特·凯恩出现在多部独立电影当中，包括《LastResort》(1996)、《Nowhere》(1997)。
·出演了尼古拉斯·凯奇的导演处女作《索尼》(2002)——Sonny恰好是他的父亲詹姆斯·凯恩在《教父》中出演角色的名字，而《教父》的导演也恰巧是凯奇的叔叔弗朗西斯·福特·科波拉。
·年轻时成立过一个叫"TheWhooliganz"的说唱二人组。1993年出过一只单曲叫"PutYourHandzUp"。他的艺名叫"MadSkillz"。搭档曾是TheAlchemist，是个顶尖hip-hop制作人。
·1988年，小斯科特曾经和父亲斯科特·凯恩一起接受了PlayboyTV的电视采访。
·同时期和安吉丽娜·朱莉一起在好莱坞的BeverlyHillsHighSchool上学，后来二人在2000年影片《极速60秒》中有过合作。
·曾被考虑作为通缉英雄中的“Derek”一角
·在洛杉矶PlayhouseWest学习过表演。
[Onactinginthemoment]Ithinkallthegreatsreallydidthat.IfyouwatchBrando,ifyouwatchMcQueen,everysceneyoucouldseethattheyweredoingsomethingandthat'swhyitseemedsohumanandsorealasopposedtoactorstryingtofindanemotionorplaythatemotionwhenthecamerasareupandthelightsareonit'shardtosettleinandhavearealmoment.Ithinktheonlyrealwaytodoitistohaveanobjectiveforwhatyou'redoinginthescene.
WhenIwasakid,Iwasalwaysanathlete.Iplayedalotofsports.Iplayedfootball,basketball,baseballandsoccer.Mydadwassuperintoathletics,sothat'swhatIdidasakid.Iplayedsports.WhenIwas11or12,Istoppedwantingtoplayfootball,basketballandbaseballandIstartedsmokingweedandhangingoutwiththe'badkids'.Iwantedtodoanythingthatwasrebellious.Myoldmanhatedskateboardingandsurfing.Hewasateamsportsplayer.Theindividualityofitiswhatdrewmetoskatingandsurfing.Itwasa'Fuckyou!'atthetime.Iknowthatskateboardingandsurfinghavebeenaroundalongtime,butitwasn'tlikeitisnow.Surfingnowislikeahighschoolsport.Everyonesurfsandeveryoneskateboards.Backthen,ifyouskated,youweredefinitelyoneofthebadkids.Ifyousurfed,youwereastoner,soyouwereoneofthebadkids.Atthetime,Iwantedtobelikethat.Iwantedtoberebellious.Ididn'twanttofitin.Iwantedtobeapunk.Whenwe'dgooffandskateorsurf,weweredoingourownthing.Therewasnobodystandingoverourbacks,watchingus.Therewasnoonejudgingus.Itwasjustaboutone-uppingeachotherallthetime.
Mydaddidn'tworkonalotonmovieswhenIwasgrowingup.Hestoppedworkingforfifteenyears.FromthetimeIwasfiveuntilIwasfifteen,Ididn'tknowwhohewasasanactor.Hewasjustmydad.Hewasn'toffonmoviesetswhenIwasakid.Hehungoutwithme.Hewasalsoarebelliousguy.Hiswholelifehadalotofupsanddowns.Toansweryourquestion,yeah,hewastheshit;buttome,hewasjustmydad.Ididn'tknowhimasJamesCaan,thebigmovieactor.Asakid,InevergottoseeanyofhismoviesbecausetheywereallratedR.Ididn'tseeTheGodfatheruntilIwas11yearsold.Whentheyshothim,Iwaslike,'Thissucks.'Itwasfuckedup.Itwasweird.Iturneditoff.Itbummedmeout.NowIlookbackandwatchhismoviesandI'mlike,'Damn.Hewastheshit.'
Myoldmanwasverystrictaboutifyouweregoingtodosomething,begoodatit.Bethebestatitordon'tdoit.AnyonecanworkhardandhaveGod-giventalent,butit'sashamewhenpeoplehaveitanddon'tuseit.Youhavetouseallaspectsofit.Youhavetobegoodatitandworkharderthanthenextman.Healwaysinstilledthatinme.EvenwhenIwasakid,he'dsay,'Ifyou'regoingtodosomething,doitright,doithardandbepassionateaboutit.Doitgoodordon'tdoitall,becausethereisalwayssomeoneelsethatwantstoplayharderthanyou.'
ThereasonIstartedwritingmovieswasbecauseIkeptgettingpartsthatIjustkindofsteppedinto.Ididn'thavetodoalotofworkandIendedupgettingsortofbored.WhenIfirststartedacting,allIdidwasworkonplaysandspendalotofhoursinthetheater.IwasimmersingmyselfinwhatIwasdoing.Iwantedtobethebestatit.Iwaslike,'I'mgoingtodothisandbethebestactorintheworld.'ThenIgotintothemoviebusinessandmaybeonceeverythreeyears,I'dgetapartthatIcouldactuallysinkmyteethinto.ThereasonIstartedwritingwasbecauseIdidn'talwaysgetthoseparts.IfiguredIcouldwritemyselfplaysandperformthingsthatIfeltstronglyabout.Thatsetmeoffonwritinganddirecting.Iendedupthinking,'Icandothistoo.'Igotreallypassionateaboutwritinganddirecting.AndnowthatI'minmyearly30s,I'mgettingpartsthatIcanreallysinkmyteethintoit.NowIcangobacktowhatreallygotmeintoacting,whenitwassomethingthatIwassuperpassionateabout.
(2001)Ifyouloveactingandyou'veeverexperiencedtheater,thenyouknowthatinamovieit'salmostimpossibletoliveoutthatexperience,unlessyou'reaPacinooraDeNiroorsomebodywhogetstopicktheirparts.It'sveryrarethatyougetapartthatattheendofthedayyoufeellikeyou'vereallyliveditout,andformegoingbackanddoingtheateriswhereIgettodothat.Irealizedthatoverthepastcoupleofyears,andIhopetoGodIneverlosethat,andIneverrestonmylaurels
(2001)I'llgodoanybody'smovieifIfindsomethingIlikeinit,I'llsay,'Let'sgodoit.'Good,badmediocreorwhateveritis,ifadirectorwantsmeinhismovie,Itakeitasacompliment.Andattheendoftheday,ifthemovie'snogood,I'lllivetofightanotherday.
WhenIwas17-years-old,Iwasinthemusicbusiness.Iwasoutonthe1993SoulAssassinsTourandtherewasthisdirectornamedMitchMarcuswhohadheardaboutme,sohecameandsawtheshow.HethoughtI'dberightforapartinhismovie.Hesaid,'Doyouwanttocomeandauditionforthismovie?'Isaid,'No,that'snotmything.'ThenIreadthescript.Itwasaboutthis17-year-oldpunkkidthatgetsoutofjuvenilehallandrideshismotorcycleandcarriesagun.ThenIwaslike,'Okay.I'llcomeinandaudition.'Iendedupgettingthepart.ItwasamoviecalledABoyCalledHate.It'snotthegreatestmovieevermade,butonceIgotonthatmovieset,Iwaslike,'Okay,thisiswhatI'mgoingtodofortherestofmylife.'IwasgoingtobeagriporanactororwriterorwhateverIhadtodotobeonamovieset.ThenIwentstraighttoatheaterschoolandstudiedforthenexttenyears.IstartedstudyingatPlayhouseWestintheValleywhenIwas17-years-old.Istartedwritinganddirectingplays.That'sbeenmycenterforactingforthelastfifteenyears.