Abbott was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, where he graduated from David Douglas High School in 1972. His career began as a Dancer and actor in the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon, where he spent three seasons from 1975 to 1978, appearing in productions of A Winter's Tale, All's Well That Ends Well, Henry VI Part 2, The Tempest, and The Tragedy of King Richard III.
In 1980, Abbott relocated from Portland to Hollywood ("in the middle of the actors' strike, and I didn't know anyone," he recalls). Shortly afterwards, he was cast as the villain in the movie Tag: The Assassination Game. He met his Future (first) wife, Linda Hamilton on the set. In 1985, he appeared as Dr. Dan Cain Stuart Gordon's sci-fi horror film Re-Animator (1985), as well as the Brian Yuzna-directed sequel, Bride of Re-Animator (1990). He would later star in Summer Heat (1987), a period drama, opposite Lori Singer and Kathy Bates. He also starred in the horror film Bad Dreams (1988) directed by Andrew Fleming, and the comedy Casual Sex? (1989). Abbot had a lead role in the Futuristic television film Out of Time (1988), opposite Bill Maher.
He has also had roles in the horror films Bad Dreams (1988) and The Prophecy II (1996), as well as the sci-fi film Out of Time. From 1992 to 1993, he portrayed Judge Nicholas Marshall on the television series Dark Justice.
Abbott married Linda Hamilton in 1982; the union produced one child, Dalton Bruce (born October 4, 1989) (who can be seen in Terminator 2: Judgment Day as "Infant John Connor"). He and Linda divorced circa 1989. That same year, on the Dallas, Texas, set of the television film Trapped, Abbott met Actress Kathleen Quinlan. They married April 12, 1994 and have one son, Tyler Quinlan (born October 17, 1990).
In 1991, he appeared as Harry Pierpont in the television film Dillinger, opposite Sherilyn Fenn and Patricia Arquette. From 1992 to 1993, he appeared in a recurring role as Judge Nicholas Marshall in the series Dark Justice.
Throughout his career, Abbott has been a guest star on many TV series Murder, She Wrote, Family Law, Diagnosis: Murder, and more. He had a recurring role in the short-lived series The Net, based on the film of the same title starring Sandra Bullock. He appeared in the horror sequel The Prophecy II (1996), opposite Christopher Walken and Brittany Murphy.
