Zia was a British-Pakistani thespian and truly a jack of all trades as he juggled acting, direction and broadcasting. Having been trained in theatrics at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London (1953-1956), he was part of a theatrical production of Julius Caesar in 1957 and made his West End debut with the role of Dr Aziz in A Passage to India in 1960. He also made his film debut with the British classic, Lawrence of Arabia (1962). He was well-known for reciting Urdu and English poetry and was a famous orator and custodian of the arts.

In the late 1960s, Mohyeddin came back to Pakistan and became the host of the highly acclaimed television talk show titled "The Zia Mohyeddin Show" (1969-73) which aired on PTV. Subsequently, due to disagreements with General Zia-ul-Haq's military regime, he returned to the U.K. during the late 1970s. There, he created the multicultural program "Here and Now" (1986-1989) for Central Television, which is now known as ITV.

In 2005, Mohyeddin was approached by the then President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, to establish the National Academy of Performing Arts in Karachi. Mohyeddin held the position of President Emeritus at the academy until his passing.

In 2012, Mohyeddin was accorded the Hilal-e-Imtiaz, the second-highest civilian honour in Pakistan.