CHARLES ANDREW GARDNER is an actor, director, educator, and arts leader dedicated to creating spaces where artists and audiences alike can imagine, connect, and flourish. His work bridges performance, education, and civic leadership, rooted in the belief that storytelling has the power to deepen empathy and strengthen community.
Recent Chicago theatre credits include A Raisin in the Sun (Court Theatre); Primary Trust, Objects in the Mirror, Stop.Reset., and Buzzer (Goodman Theatre); and An Enemy of the People, Boulevard of Bold Dreams, Kill Move Paradise, Paradise Blue, and My Kind of Town (TimeLine Theatre Company). Additional Chicago credits include productions with Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Lookingglass Theatre Company, and 16th Street Theater.
Television credits include Dark Matter, Mayor of Kingstown, Somebody Somewhere, The Chi, Chicago Med, and Chicago P.D.. Film credits include Heist 88, Olympia, and Long Ride Home.
Charles serves as President of the SAG-AFTRA Chicago Local, is a Company Member with TimeLine Theatre Company, and teaches acting at DePaul & Roosevelt University. He is also the founder of The Actor’s Cup LLC, Stay Creative Clothing, and the Rooted Radiance Artist Retreat.
Whether in the rehearsal room, the classroom, or the boardroom, Charles is committed to building courageous ensembles, cultivating the next generation of artists, and creating spaces where creativity becomes a catalyst for connection, belonging, and transformation. @CharlesAndrewGardner.
Bio as of 7/2026