Rider was discovered by Denzel Washington in a play in 2006, and Washington brought him into his 2007 biographical drama film The Great Debaters, which was Rider's feature film debut.
In 2013, Rider played the role of Seeker Reed in the science fiction film The Host and later played the role of Admiral Stephen W. Rochon in the historical drama The Butler. Rider played the role of Eric Millworth in the ABC's drama series Lucky 7. He also starred in the film Alpha Alert, also known as Event 15.
In 2015, Rider appeared in the Showtime's comedy series Shameless as G-Dog. He also starred as Eli Cunningham in the CBS' comedy series Battle Creek.
