Vijay was born Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar to director S. A. Chandrasekhar and playback singer Shoba Chandrasekhar in Madras (now Chennai), Tamil Nadu.

At the age of 10, Vijay made his debut as a child actor in the Tamil film Vetri, produced by P. S. Veerappa. He then acted in several films as a child actor, including Kudumbam, Vasantha Raagam, Sattam Oru Vilayaattu, and Ithu Engal Neethi.

Vijay played his first lead role in the film Naalaiya Theerpu at the age of 18. This marked the beginning of his career as a lead actor in Tamil cinema.

Vijay was awarded the Kalaimaamani by the Government of Tamil Nadu for his role in Kadhalukku Mariyadhai, recognizing his emerging talent in the industry.

Vijay starred in the action-masala film Ghilli, which became the first Tamil film to gross over ₹50 crore. This film, along with subsequent successes like Thirupaachi and Pokkiri, established him as one of the leading and commercially successful actors in Tamil cinema.

Vijay acted in several critically and commercially successful films, including Thuppakki, Kaththi, Mersal, Sarkar, Master, and Leo. These films cemented his status as a top actor in Tamil cinema and expanded his fan base globally.

Vijay was featured in Eastern Eye's list of top celebrities in Asia, becoming the only Tamil actor to be included alongside Bollywood actors.

Vijay announced his retirement from films and his entry into politics with the launch of his political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam. He also announced that he would do only one more film, titled Jana Nayagan, which will be his 69th and last as a lead actor.