Warburton played the title role in FOX's short-lived series The Tick. He played Eric in the sitcom 'Dave's World', and had a small role in the 2002 film Men in Black II as J's new partner, T. In the 1990s, he was known for his recurring role in Seinfeld as David Puddy, the on-again, off-again boyfriend of Elaine Benes. Warburton's acting roles often rely on his distinctive deep, booming voice and large physique. He studied marine biology at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California, but dropped out to pursue modeling and acting. He later attended Servite High School (in Anaheim, California), then transferred to Newport Harbor High School (in Newport Beach, California).
He and his three sisters, Mary, Lara, and Megan, were raised in a 'very religious' and 'conservative' Catholic family in Huntington Beach, California, where he attended Saints Simon and Jude Catholic School. and Barbara Jeanne Gratz (an actress credited as Barbara Lord). Warburton is the son of orthopedic surgeon John Charles Warburton Jr.