American actor Chris Gardner is a character actor who left small but lasting marks in the television world in various productions for decades. Throughout his career, he has managed to keep his presence in front of the stage alive by appearing in TV series of different genres. Gardner is particularly well-known for her guest and recurring roles on productions that are considered the heavyweights of American television. He played Thomas Coleman in the legal drama The Practice, and Jackson Hawthorne in Law & Order, which has become the symbol of crime dramas. It was also briefly screened in The West Wing, which is considered one of the most prestigious productions of the political drama genre. While he reached a different audience with his role as Jared Healy in the popular mystery series Pretty Little Liars, he also appeared in long-running and wide-ranging productions such as NCIS. Star Trek Into Darkness, in which he used his voice, was an experience that demonstrated his talent not only in front of the camera but also in the field of voice-over. The name Chris Gardner is often associated with the real-life story of the same name. Although the similarity in name with businessman Chris Gardner, played by Will Smith in the 2006 movie Don't Lose Hope, has caused confusion from time to time, actor Chris Gardner has continued his career independently. Instead of being a main cast member in big-budget productions, Gardner, who has a strong stage discipline and an actor profile that adapts to all kinds of stories, has become a part of that invisible but valuable screen that connects different periods of American television. His career reveals once again how broad an ecosystem of actors mainstream television needs.