Charles Mesure was born in Somerset, England. When he was five, his family moved to Australia and he grew up in Sydney. He studied law at Sydney University and was very active in SUDS, the school's dramatic society. After he graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney in 1995, he moved to New Zealand where he soon got his first TV gig. He also acted in plays at the Court and Circa theatres. In 2004 he moved to the US and had guest roles on several hit series.