Bergen Actor Gaius Charles Stars On NBC’s ‘Taken’

Gaius Charles enjoys telling stories that explore humanity.

The Teaneck native is one of the stars of NBC’s ‘Taken,” a modern-day prequel to the Liam Neeson film series that shows how Bryan Mills developed his particular set of skills. Charles plays “John,” a member of Mills’ Operational Control team, an elite unit of operatives who take care of America’s national security emergencies on the ground. Three episodes have aired so far.

“’John’ is a really cool character. It’s really cool that you get to see different sides of him and throughout the first season, you’ll get to see more and more of him,” Charles said. “He turns his life around to use his skills and talents to better himself and his community.”

Gaius Charles plays "John" an elite operative on NBC's "Taken." — Photo by Panagiotis Pantazidis/Courtesy of NBC

Charles gravitates towards roles that show characters’ humanity, their vulnerabilities. He said viewers are too.

“I think people are most drawn to character-driven storylines. If they don’t have the character and the depth that people cling to, they lose interest,” Charles said. “We have a ton of action, but we also have really great storylines that are gritty with a lot of heart.”

Charles, 33, is best known for playing Brian “Smash” Williams on “Friday Night Lights” and Dr. Shane Ross during seasons nine and 10 of “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Charles has a master’s degree from nearby Drew University and, as a Christian, has kept his faith in God throughout his acting career.

“I’ve always just been drawn to faith and my relationship with God,” he told USA Today. “I really want to take these theological resources that I've developed back into the platform of acting. I would love to work for or be a part of an NGO (non-governmental organization).”

Charles says he is encouraged to see more actors of color on screen, but said a lot more progress could be made.

“It goes back to the fact that sometimes we need to remember that through the specific comes the universal,” Charles said. “We don’t necessarily have to see stories from one perspective of an actor from any particular background. As long as it’s a good story, it’s compelling.”

That being said, Charles said it is an “exciting time to be an actor of color.”

“I’m excited to see the stories that are being made and being celebrated by people of color,” Charles said. “I’d like to see more stories and characters from the perspective of folks of color, both in terms of who are in front of the camera and those who are behind the scenes as writers and directors. But no matter who is telling the story, if it is a good one, people will want to watch.”

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Gaius Charles stars as "John" in NBC's "Taken." — Photo by Jeff Riedel/Courtesy of NBC