Artist Bio

(Bio as of August 2024)

Charles Andrew Gardner, he/him (Bert) is an actor, educator, entrepreneur who was born and raised on Chicago’s south side. He is SAG-AFTRA Chicago Local President and has an immense passion for shepherding people through shifting their “Perspective of Possible.” Over the past decade, Charles has become an avid arts education advocate, teaching and mentoring with Dime Child, After School Matters, HHW, Steppenwolf for Young Adults, Goodman Theatre and Timeline Theatre, through which he has reached thousands of Chicagoland students. Charles is also an on-camera acting professor at The Theatre School at DePaul and Roosevelt University, as well as an on-camera instructor at The Acting Studio Chicago. Charles is a Company Member with Timeline Theatre Company where he has appeared onstage in Boulevard of Bold Dreams, Kill Move Paradise (Jeff nomination for Best Ensemble, BTAA nomination for Best Ensemble), Paradise Blue (BTAA nomination for Best Featured Actor) and My Kind of Town (BTAA nomination for Best Actor), for which Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune named him one of 2012s Hot New Faces to Watch. Other Chicago theater credits include His Shadow (Jeff nomination for Best Actor) at 16th Street Theatre; Objects in the Mirror, Stop.Reset. (US) and Buzzer (US) at Goodman Theatre; How Long Will I Cry at Steppenwolf Theatre; Macbeth and Othello at The Suitcase Shakespeare Company; and The Great Fire (US) at Lookingglass Theatre. On-camera credits include Mayor of Kingstown, Somebody Somewhere,  Chicago Med, The Chi and Chicago PD. Films: Heist 88, Long Ride Home, Olympia, Exodus, Every 21 Seconds and Holding On. He’s also been featured in multiple national commercials. In addition to his work in the classroom, on stage and in front of the camera, Charles is the owner and CEO of The Actor’s Cup LLC and Stay Creative Clothing.