Jennifer Carpenter was first seen in the 1999 romantic comedy film ‘Nice Guys Sleep Alone’ where she made an uncredited appearance. She next appeared in films like ‘Bring It On’ (2000), ‘People Are Dead’ (2001), ‘Ash Tuesday’ (2003), ‘D.E.B.S.’ (2004), ‘White Chicks’ (2004), and ‘Last Days of America’ (2005). The year 2005 saw the release of the American supernatural horror legal drama film ‘The Exorcism of Emily Rose’ where Carpenter was seen playing the role of ‘Emily Rose.’ The film opened to mixed reviews and was a massive box office success, grossing over $145.2 million on a budget of $19 million. Carpenter also received the ‘MTV Movie Award’ for her performance in the film. The following year, she joined the cast of the American crime drama television series ‘Dexter.’ She played the role of ‘Debra Morgan’ which earned her several award nominations including the ‘Screen Actors Guild,’ and 2 ‘Saturn Award’ nominations. The show ran for 7 years and aired its final episode in 2013.
She went on to star in films ‘The Dog Problem’ (2006), ‘Battle in Seattle’ (2007), ‘Quarantine’ (2008), ‘Faster’ (2010), and ‘Seeking Justice’ (2011). In 2011, she starred as ‘Pepper’ in the American legal and political drama television series ‘The Good Wife’ created by Robert King and Michelle King. She appeared in 5 episodes and remained a part of the series until 2013. In 2015, she joined the cast of the American comedy-drama television series ‘Limitless’ where she played the role of ‘FBI Special Agent Rebecca Harris.’ The series received mixed reviews from critics and aired its final episode in 2016. She starred as ‘Lauren Thomas’ in the 2017 American neo-noir prison thriller film ‘Brawl in Cell Block 99’ directed by S. Craig Zahler. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics. She next appeared in films like ‘Batman: Gotham by Gaslight’ (2018), ‘Dragged Across Concrete’ (2018), ‘Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge’ (2020), and ‘Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms’ (2021).
In 2021, Carpenter became a part of the American crime drama mystery miniseries ‘Dexter: New Blood’ where she reprised her role as ‘Debra Morgan.’ The show was the continuation of the original ‘Dexter’ series and aired its final episode in January 2022.