Haysbert's early acting days were a string of episodic roles beginning with an appearance on "Lou Grant" (CBS). He was featured in regular or recurring roles in four series: "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" (NBC, in 1981); "Code Red" (ABC, 1981-82), about firefighters; the short-lived sitcom "Off the Rack" (ABC, 1985) with Edward Asner; and "Just the Ten of Us" (ABC, 1989-90) as Coach Johnson. Haysbert had supporting roles in two 1993 CBS miniseries: "Queen", in which he plays a union organizer, and "Return to Lonesome Dove", in which he was Cherokee Jack.

His feature break was "Major League" (1989), in which he portrayed the voodoo-practicing Cuban ballplayer Pedro Cerrano, a role he reprised in the sequels "Major League II" (1994) and "Major League: Back to the Minors" (1998). Reteaming with "Major League" co-star Charlie Sheen, Haysbert was one of the "Navy SEALs" (1990) involved in saving a naval helicopter crew held hostage, while in "Mr. Baseball" (1992), he was a teammate of Tom Selleck's who leaves Japan to return to the USA. "Love Field" offered him the opportunity to demonstrate his range, playing a single father evading police who stumbles upon a well-meaning Southern white woman (Pfeiffer) on a bus and ends up traveling with her Washington, DC while falling in love in the process. In 1995, Haysbert had supporting roles in two high-profile features: Michael Mann's "Heat", in which he was an ex-con trying to go straight, and Forest Whitaker's "Waiting to Exhale", as Whitney Houston's boyfriend.

Roles in 1997's "Absolute Power" and the 1999 releases "The Thirteenth Floor", "The Minus Man" and "Random Hearts" raised his profile and solidified his image as a dependable actor with a quietly commanding screen presence. He continued to impress on the big screen with two memorable turns in 2000 independent releases: "Love & Basketball" cast him as a former pro baller now working as a scout who cheats on his wife (Debi Morgan) and lets down his son (Omar Epps) while "What's Cooking?" featured him as a high-ranking political aide who was unfaithful to his splintering superwoman wife (Alfre Woodard) and has alienated his militant son (Eric K George).

Back on television, Haysbert impressed audiences and critics alike with his turn as the mysterious scientist behind a covert government operation that utilizes the abilities of an insurance salesman turned mega man (John Goodman/Eric Close) for tasks aiding national interest. Though a cult favorite, the show didn't last, and Haysbert's next TV venture in 2001 was an even greater challenge, playing the Presidential candidate David Palmer in the high-concept FOX series "24," which played out a single horrific day in the life of FBI agent Jack Bauer over 24 episodes, with each episode chronicling an hour out of that day. Critics loved the show and audiences eventually discovered and embraced the series as well, causing Haysbert to return in the second season, this time as the President of the United States. Just as he found a stable spot on network television, Haysbert's on-screen career also caught some heat in 2002 when he appeared in "Far From Heaven," director Todd Haynes' film on 1950s repression and the illusion of appearances. Haysbert's Sidney Poitier-esque performance as the kind and gentle black gardener who embarks on a frowned-upon interracial romance with neglected wife Julianne Moore was roundly praised.

After leaving "24" as a regular at the end of the third season, Haysbert returned to the show as a guest star for several episodes of the 2005 season, and he continued to enjoy a thriving side career as a voice actor and narrartor for documentaries, commercials, animated projects and video games. Back on the big screen, he had a memorable but pivotal appearance in director Sam Mendes Gulf War meditation "Jarhead" (2005) as a gruff, no-nonsense Marine officer. In 2006, Haysbert returned to the small screen, appearing as a black-ops commander on CBS's anti-terrorism series, "The Unit" (2006 - ).