Hitchcock received his Bachelor of Science degree from Northwestern University and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. He is a graduate of Lyons Township High School in LaGrange, Illinois. In 2008, he was inducted into the LTHS Hall of Fame. Hitchcock currently resides in Los Angeles.

Other film appearances include Joss Whedon's Serenity (2005), Endgame (2010), Smiley Face (2007), Wild Hogs (2007), Pretty Persuasion (2005), Happy, Texas (1999), and Heartbreakers (2001).

On television, Hitchcock plays the role of Ted Mayo on the Showtime series United States of Tara starring Toni Collette. He also plays Dave on Men of a Certain Age starring Ray Romano, Scott Bakula and Andre Braugher on TNT. Other television appearances include Glee, Entourage, Party Down, Pushing Daisies, Arrested Development, Head Case, Las Vegas, MADtv, Desperate Housewives, The Suite Life on Deck, and Grosse Pointe.

In 1999, Hitchcock became a writer for the FOX late-night comedy series MADtv, and became one of the series' producers in 2001. He also played the role of Simeon Dyson, an obnoxious, drug-abusing game show announcer on the recurring MADtv sketch, "The Lillian Verner Game Show." During Hitchcock's tenure, the MADtv writing team was nominated for three Writers Guild of America Awards in the Comedy/Variety category (in 2003, 2004, and 2005).

Hitchcock's other writing credits include the comedy films House Arrest (1996) and The Ultimate Christmas Present (2000) as well as the critically-acclaimed drama Where the Day Takes You (1992), which marked the film acting debut of Will Smith and also featured Dermot Mulroney, Lara Flynn Boyle, Sean Astin, Balthazar Getty, and Christian Slater. Where the Day Takes You was nominated for the "Critics Award" at the Deauville Film Festival, and Mulroney won "Best Actor" at the Seattle International Film Festival.

Hitchcock is is also an alumnus of The Groundlings, a Los Angeles-based improvisational and sketch comedy troupe. Although he left the theatre's Main Stage Company in the mid 1990s, Hicthcock still comes back regularly to perform in The Groundlings’ all-improv show Cookin' with Gas.