Condon got his start directing low-budget features such as Candyman 2: Farewell to the Flesh. He came to prominence with his film Gods and Monsters, which he wrote and directed. The screenplay was based on a novel written by Christopher Bram. For his efforts, he won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He would also be nominated for the same award for the Oscar-winning 2002 adaptation of the musical Chicago. He received further accolades in 2004 for writing and directing the film Kinsey, chronicling the life of the controversial sex researcher Alfred Kinsey.

In 2005, he was given the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at the GLAAD Media Awards. This award is "presented to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender individuals in the media for their outstanding contribution in combating homophobia." IMDB

Also in 2005, it was announced that Condon would write the screenplay for, and direct, the film adaptation of Dreamgirls, the acclaimed Broadway musical loosely based on the career of the musical group The Supremes with Motown Records. It will be his second adaptation of a musical. As of February 2006, the production is filming at CBS Studios in Los Angeles, with a cast that includes Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, Beyoncé Knowles, Jennifer Hudson, Anika Noni Rose, and Danny Glover. Dreamgirls is scheduled for release in December 2006. The film finished shooting in April.