Wells initially worked in a quarry, and then as a salesman. He then worked extensively in theatre and rock bands before being noticed by casting agents during a long-lived hit theatre play, and started to appear in Australian TV commercials, print ads, local Australian TV shows such as Homicide and Matlock Police and historical TV mini-series like Against The Wind, Sara Dane and All The Rivers Run.

His first cinema appearance was a minor role in Felicity (1979), a low budget, erotic fantasy film. However, Wells was then fortunate to be cast as the homicidal biker "Wez", in the big budget Mad Max 2 (1981) filmed around Silverton near Broken Hill in outback New South Wales, Australia. It's the role for which he is probably best known to international audiences, as Wells portrays a psychotic, post apocalyptic gang leader who relentlessly pursues hero Mel Gibson, before meeting a spectacular death at the film's finale. Hollywood beckoned for Wells, and he spoofed his mad biker role in the popular teen comedy Weird Science (1985), before taking on another villainous role as the treacherous ex-soldier "Bennett", who foolishly double crosses Arnold Schwarzenegger in Commando (1985). Once more, Wells meets a dramatic end, as he is impaled against a boiler at the film's conclusion, as Arnold remarks "Let off some steam, Bennett."

Although Vernon Wells is also credited as a writer,director and producer of several highly acclaimed films, he continued to find regular work as a villain, of one description or another, predominantly in thrillers or action films including Last Man Standing (1988), Circuitry Man (1990), Kick of Death (1997) and Starforce (2000).

Although not a regular, he also appeared in the short-lived 1992 TV series The Amazing Live Sea Monkeys.

Wells then landed a role in 2001's Power Rangers: Time Force as Ransik, a mutant crime lord from the year 3000 who escapes capture and travels back in time to take over the world of 2001.

A native of Australia, Wells made a vivid impression on moviegoers as Wez, the madman with a Mohawk who matched Max (Mel Gibson) blow for blow in The Road Warrior.

He was seen in a featured role in Weird Science, written and directed by John Hughes and produced by Joel Silver. Wells so impressed Silver with his work in that film that he was immediately secured for the role of Bennett.

When first approached for the role in Commando, Wells was in Australia working on the feature film, Fortress based on the real life Faraday School kidnapping, in a starring role opposite Rachel Ward.

A former singer in several rock bands,joining Angry Anderson in pre-Rose Tattoo days in band(Le Primitive), He is now one of Australia’s most popular actors and is a director of commercials and television shows. He runs his own television company, appropriately called P.U.B.,now owned by his son.

It’s the small details that help the actors get into and stay in their roles. Especially when there is so much emotion, according to Vernon Wells.

"If the stunt is not too dangerous," he says, "I would prefer to do it, only because someone else does not understand the emotions of the character and how he would do it.

You see, that’s what Bennett was all about. He was a maniac at this point and would not have kicked the boards out". "We talked in advance to work out what we wanted from the shot," says Schwarzenegger. "Vernon was a revelation to me because the first day I met him I thought, ‘How’s he going to pull off playing a mean guy? He’s so nice.’ But when the camera rolls, he turns into an animal, and it’s pretty scary when he comes at you with a knife just inches away."