Atterton was born in 1962. He attended Rugby School and then Eton College. He earned a degree in Social Anthropology from Cambridge University. After two years of living in Japan, he returned to the UK and enrolled in the Central School of Speech and Drama.

Atterton's first television role was in an episode of ITV's Agatha Christie's Poirot in 1993. The same year, he was cast in the recurring role of Dr. Alex Taylor in the ITV drama series Medics. After continuing in various British television productions for some years, Atterton began working in the United States. He had a role in the 1998 remake of The Man in the Iron Mask, and also starred in the WB's short-lived spy series Three. Following this, he had appearances in several cult sci-fi/fantasy productions including Alias, Firefly, and Charmed. He also played Duncan Idaho in the Sci-Fi Channel's adaptation of Frank Herbert's Children of Dune in 2003. His final television appearance to date was in a 2005 episode of the Lifetime Channel's drama series Wild Card. Atterton also played the part of a cheese seller in Pie in the Sky.

In 1997, Atterton began dating Actress Salma Hayek and moved to Los Angeles to be closer to her. The couple broke up in 2000. He is married to Kelly Atterton, the West Coast Editor for Allure magazine. Atterton has a black belt in karate.