Daniel Bernhardt began his acting career in the 1990s. He co-starred with Jean-Claude Van Damme in Bruce Weber's TV advertisement ‘Looking for Kicks’ for designer Gianni Versace. He was then discovered by producer Marc Di Salle and cast in the action film ‘Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite’ in 1996. He appeared opposite actors Pat Morita and James Hong in the movie. The same year, he also acted in the film’s sequel ‘Bloodsport III.’ The following year, the actor starred in many films, including ‘Future War’, opposite Robert Z'Dar, ‘True Vengeance,’ with Miles O'Keeffe and Beverly Johnson, and ‘Perfect Target,’ with Robert Englund and Brian Thompson.
In the late 1990s, he acted in ‘G2 - Mortal Conquest’ (1999) and ‘Bloodsport 4: The Dark Kumite’ (1999). He also starred in the TV series ‘Mortal Kombat: Conquest’ from 1998 to 1999. He acted in the science-fiction action film ‘The Matrix Reloaded’ in 2003, playing the role of Agent Johnson. He shared screen space with Keanu Reeves in this film.
He appeared with Chuck Norris in the direct-to-video action film ‘The Cutter’ in 2005. In 2007, the actor appeared in the movie ‘Children of Wax.’ After a gap of a few years, he returned to acting with a role in the Jason Statham starrer ‘Parker’ in 2013. The same year, he also had a cameo in the dystopian science fiction adventure film ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,’ as the male tribute from District 9. The actor played Russian hitman Kirill in the neo-noir action thriller ‘John Wick’ in 2014. He portrayed the role of a mixed martial arts fighter Max Potter in the remake of ‘Warrior’, titled ‘Brothers,’ in 2015. Â