A native of London, England, Toby Corbett grew up in the Pacific Northwest. A graduate of the University of Washington, Corbett studied painting with Jacob Lawrence and film studies with Richard Jameson. Corbett's skills as a painter led to his working in major regional theatres as a scenic artist. After moving to New York City Corbett began working as a set designer on numerous off-Broadway productions. His work in the theatre led to a career as a production designer for film and television. Corbett has worked with a distinguished group of filmmakers including Kathryn Bigelow, Ron Nyswaner, Keifer Sutherland, Tracey Ullman, Jim McBride, Wayne Kramer, John Sayles, and Werner Herzog.