Charles Esten

Charles Esten
Esten in 2016
Born	Charles Esten Puskar III (1965-09-09) September 9, 1965 (age 58) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Other names	Chip Esten
Alma mater	College of William and Mary
Occupations	Actor musician singer-songwriter comedian
Years active	1988–present
Spouse	Patty Hanson ​ (m. 1991)​
Children	3
Website	charlesesten.com

Charles Esten Puskar III (born September 9, 1965), also known professionally as Charles Esten, and (when appearing as himself on improvisation shows or hosting) as Chip Esten, is an American actor, musician, singer-songwriter, and comedian.

Esten played the role of country singer Deacon Claybourne on the drama Nashville from 2012 to 2018, which subsequently kickstarted his own musical career. He also played Ward Cameron on the teen drama series Outer Banks. He appeared in the improvisation show Whose Line Is It Anyway? as a series regular between 1999–2005 and returned with guest appearances from 2017–2020.