Charles Esten

Charles Esten Puskar III, known professionally as Charles Esten, is an American actor, musician, and comedian. He gained recognition for his role as country singer Deacon Claybourne on the ABC/CMT drama Nashville from 2012 to 2018, which launched his own musical career. Esten also portrayed Ward Cameron on the Netflix teen drama series Outer Banks. He was a series regular on the improvisation show Whose Line Is It Anyway? from 1999 to 2005, with guest appearances from 2017 to 2020. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Esten moved to Alexandria, Virginia, at a young age and attended T.C. Williams High School. He is the son of a prominent local businessman and former business partner of Ray Mansfield, a former Pittsburgh Steelers center.