Branson originated the role of Jonathan Lavery on the ABCsoap operaAll My Children on June 15, 2004. Although he was off the air from mid-April until August 2005 while his character was believed dead in an explosion, Branson remained on contract the entire time. Branson's last appearance on All My Children aired on December 18, 2007.
In 2004, he played the role of a younger Alan Spaulding on Guiding Light; he also played Shayne Lewis on Guiding Light up until the last episode of the show on September 18, 2009.
In 2005, Branson received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his work on All My Children as Jonathan Lavery. In 2009, he received his second Daytime Emmy Award nomination for his portrayal of Shayne Lewis on Guiding Light. He won this award, tied with Vincent Irizarry from All My Children.
In June 2010, Branson began work on The Young and the Restless in the role of Ronan Malloy. Malloy is Nina Webster's long-lost son that was stolen as a baby and put up for adoption. He plays an undercover FBI agent on a mission to bust corrupt cops in Genoa City involved in a drug ring. He left the show from February to August 2011. On June 26, 2012, he arrived back in Genoa City because of Victor Newman. In 2012, Branson won the Dankies Award for outstanding supporting actor for his role as Malloy.