He may be best known for his role in the controversial Sam Peckinpah film Straw Dogs where he was the most shady in the group of nefarious local thugs antagonizing Dustin Hoffman's character and especially ingenue Susan George. In 1980, he appeared as Brickett in "National Pelmet", the series 2 opener of TV drama Minder. He appeared as the lead villain's henchmen in the eighties fantasy film Ladyhawke directed by Richard Donner. He also starred in the Play for Today Just a Boys' Game. Hutchison costarred with Robert Mitchum in The Wrath of God (1972) (one of his few protagonist roles), where The New York Times noted the performance of "the fine Ken Hutchison". He played a bank robber in Sweeney 2 as well as the miniseries Masada (starring Peter O'Toole) and the Oscar Winning motion picture Gandhi.