Ford made his movie debut in the tragic drama "Deeply" (2000), first screened at the Toronto Film Festival 2000, playing the role of Kirsten Dunst's lover. He was also cast as Jeremy Blond as part of the SAG Award-winning ensemble of Robert Altman’s film "Gosford Park" (2001), and then went on to appear as a high school boyfriend stolen by a conniving foreign exchange student (Piper Perabo) in the indie comedy "Slap Her, She's French" (2002). Attending Cambride during the filming of all three pictures, Ford had to hide his involvement from the college administrators for fear of being expelled for his extraciricular activities. In 2002 Ford became familiar to viewers of TV's "The West Wing" as Jean-Paul, the arrogant French beau of Zoey Bartlett (Elisabeth Moss), the daughter of the President (Martin Sheen). The actor was then cast in his most high-profile role to date as Mandy Moore's quirky, sensitive confidant-turned-boyfriend in the teen oriented romance "How to Deal" (2003).