Josh Charles

Joshua Aaron Charles (born September 15, 1971) is an American film, television, and theater actor best known for playing Will Gardner on The Good Wife, a role which earned him two Primetime Emmy Award nominations. He also appeared in Sports Night, Dead Poets Society and Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead.

Early life Joshua Aaron Charles was born on September 15, 1971 to Allan Charles, an advertising executive, and Laura Peyton. He is Jewish on his father's side and identifies as Jewish himself. He began his career performing comedy at the age of 9. As a teenager, he spent several summers at Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Center in New York. He attended the Baltimore School for the Arts, where he was a classmate of Jada Pinkett and Tupac Shakur.

Career Film Charles's film debut was in John Waters's Hairspray in 1988. The following year, he starred alongside Robin Williams and Ethan Hawke in Dead Poets Society. He had also appeared in Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead, Threesome, Pie in the Sky, Muppets from Space, S.W.A.T, Four Brothers, After.Life, Crossing the Bridge, and Brief Interviews with Hideous Men.

Television Charles played sports anchor Dan Rydell in Aaron Sorkin's Sports Night (1998–2000), for which he was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2008, Charles appeared in season one of HBO's In Treatment. He played a recurring role in The Good Wife, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award twice; once in 2011 and another in 2014.

In 2011, Charles narrated the debut episode for NFL Network's A Football Life based on New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. In 2022, he starred in the HBO limited series We Own This City.

In May 2025, Charles joined the cast of the American remake of the British series Doc Martin called Best Medicine.

Theatre Charles headlined a production of Jonathan Marc Sherman's Confrontation in 1986. In 2004, he appeared in the revival of Neil LaBute's The Distance from Here which received a Drama Desk Award for Best Ensemble Cast. In January 2006, he appeared in Richard Greenberg's The Well-Appointed Room at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago and Caryl Churchill's A Number at the American Conservatory Theater, San Francisco. In 2007, he appeared in Adam Bock's The Receptionist at the Manhattan Theatre Club, New York City.

Charles appeared in the off-Broadway production of Annie Baker's The Antipodes at the Signature Theatre in 2017. He made his Broadway debut in Straight White Men by Young Jean Lee at the Hayes Theater in 2018.

Others Charles appeared in Taylor Swift's music video for "Fortnight" in 2024, alongside his Dead Poets Society co-star, Ethan Hawke.

Personal life In September 2013, Charles married ballet dancer and author Sophie Flack. The couple lives in New York City. On December 9, 2014, Flack gave birth to the couple's first child, a son. On August 23, 2018, Charles revealed on his Instagram that Flack gave birth to their second child, a daughter.

Charles supports the Baltimore Ravens and Baltimore Orioles.

Charles supported Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in 2016. In 1999, Clinton's campaign for the U.S. Senate had requested a copy of a Sports Night episode in which Charles's character Dan Rydell talks about his admiration for Clinton and recounts attending a fundraiser for her off-screen.

In August 2014, Charles was amongst the Hollywood signatories for an open letter condemning Hamas attacks on Israel during the 2014 Gaza War. In October 2023, he signed an open letter calling on President Joe Biden to work toward the release of all Israeli hostages following the October 7 attacks.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1988 Hairspray Iggy 1989 Dead Poets Society Knox Overstreet 1991 Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead Bryan 1992 Crossing the Bridge Mort Golden 1994 Threesome Eddy 1995 Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead Bruce uncredited 1995 Coldblooded Randy 1996 The Grave Tyn 1996 Crossworlds Joe Talbot 1996 Pie in the Sky Charlie Dunlap 1997 Cyclops, Baby Brush Brody 1997 Little City Adam 1999 Muppets from Space Agent Barker 2000 Meeting Daddy Peter Silverblatt 2003 S.W.A.T. T. J. McCabe 2004 Seeing Other People Lou 2005 Four Brothers Detective Fowler 2006 The Darwin Awards Paramedic 2006 The Ex Forrest Mead 2009 After.Life Tom Peterson 2009 Brief Interviews with Hideous Men Subject No. 2 2014 Bird People Gary Newman 2014 Adult Beginners Phil 2015 I Smile Back Bruce Brooks 2015 Freeheld Bryan Kelder 2016 Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Chris 2016 Norman Arthur Taub 2016 The Drowning Tom Seymour 2018 Amateur Coach Gaines 2019 Framing John DeLorean Bill Collins 2023 Memory Isaac 2024 Mothers' Instinct Damian Jennings

Television Year Title Role Notes 1990 Murder in Mississippi Andrew Goodman Television film 1993 Cooperstown Jody Television film 1996 Norma Jean & Marilyn Eddie Jordan Television film 1997 The Underworld Ehrlich Television film 1998–2000 Sports Night Dan Rydell 45 episodes 2002 Our America Dave Isay Television film 2005 Stella Jeremy Episode: "Meeting Girls" 2007 Six Degrees Ray Jones 4 episodes 2008 In Treatment Jake 8 episodesLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit Sean Kelley Episode: "Confession" 2009–2016 The Good Wife Will Gardner 107 episodes, also director (3 episodes) 2014–2016 Inside Amy Schumer Various 4 episodes 2015 Masters of Sex Dan Logan 10 episodesWet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp Blake 6 episodes 2016–2017 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Duke Snyder 5 episodes 2016–2019 Drunk History Various 3 episodes 2017 Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later Blake 6 episodes Law & Order True Crime Dr. Jerome Oziel 7 episodes Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Forensic Scientist Episode: "Forensic Science" 2019 The Loudest Voice Casey Close 3 episodes 2020 Away Matt Logan 10 episodes 2021 Law & Order: Organized Crime Vince Baldi Episode: "Forget it, Jake; It's Chinatown" 2022 We Own This City Daniel Hersl Miniseries, main cast 2023 The Power Daniel Dandon Recurring role 2024 The Veil Max Peterson 4 episodes2025 The Handmaid's Tale Commander Wharton 4 episodes The American Revolution Joseph Warren / David Ramsay (voice) 5 episodes 2026 Best Medicine Dr. Martin Best Main role

Music videos Year Title Artist 2024 "Fortnight" Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone

Awards and nominations Year Association Category Nominated work Result 2000 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Sports Night 2000 Viewers for Quality Television Best Actor in a Quality Comedy Series 2010 Satellite Awards Best Actor – Television Series Drama The Good Wife 2010 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series 2011 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series 2011 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series 2012 Monte-Carlo Television Festival Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series 2012 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series 2014 Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series 2014 Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film 2014 People's Choice Awards Favorite Dramatic Television Actor 2014 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series 2015 Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series Inside Amy Schumer