Shen is best known as the lead character, Ben Manibag, in Justin Lin's seminal Asian American film, Better Luck Tomorrow (2002). Shen was also a main part of the cast of Hatchet, in which he also returned for Adam Green's Hatchet II and Hatchet III. Shen has appeared in Ed Decter's The New Guy (2002) opposite DJ Qualls and Zooey Deschanel (as Glen). Shen also appears as the lead husband character, Luke, in Richard Wong's Yes We're Open opposite Lynn Chen and in Dave Boyle's Surrogate Valentine (2011) as Bradley, Pearry Reginald Teo's The Gene Generation (as Jackie, the brother of Bai Ling's character), and Eric Shapiro's Rule of 3 (2008) (as David).
On May 6, 2013, Shen debuted in the recurring role of Brad Cooper on General Hospital.
Shen also voices the character Takeda Takahashi in "Mortal Kombat X" (2015), Winston Chu in Square Enix's Sleeping Dogs (2012), Mogu Zai in Blizzard's World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria (2012), and Tang/Privateer/Thug in Far Cry 3 (2012).
