Charles was born into a show busines family. His father was the principal writer for the popular PBS series "Upstairs Downstairs" and his mother was an actress. He started appearing inplays during grade school. He graduated from Eton College and was accpeted into the law school at Cambridge University. While at Cambridge, he joined a comedy group called "Footlights Revue". After graduating, he decided to return to acting and enrolled in a London drama school and led to him to touring in a repertory company. Eventually moving to America to follow the actress whom he would eventually marry, he got his break on "The Nanny".