Charlie Barnett’s Husband: The ‘Russian Doll’ Star Is Married to Drew Bender

Charlie Barnett’s husband is also a creative person with an extensive catalog of projects on which he has made a mark. They had their private bohemian wedding last year, surrounded by friends and family in the mountains of Wyoming.

Charlie Barnett is an actor best known for his three-year run on the “Chicago Fire” cast between 2012 and 2015. During his days on the fire department drama series, he was roommates with Joe Minoso and Yuriy Sardarov. The actor was also cast in the Netflix series, “Russian Doll,” portraying Alan Zaveri.

He was born on February 4, 1988, in Sarasota, Florida. He has scored roles in big projects like “Men in Black 3” and “Private Romeo.” Barnett carries his gay identity with great pride and found love with costume and Drew Bender on the “Chicago Fire” set.

Charlie Barnett and Drew Bender at the season two premiere of “Russian Doll” at The Bowery Hotel, New York City, on April 19, 2022. | Source: Getty Images

Charlie Barnett’s Husband Is Also in the Entertainment Industry

Bender is a set designer who resides in the hub of the American film industry, Los Angeles. He acquired his education at Columbia College Chicago in 2011, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Video production, with a specified interest in production design.

The artist has since applied his skills in different spheres of art. This widespread and broad perspective of design has unlocked an intuition for the “intricacies of bringing a set to life.” His passion for creativity equips him with the drive to find design solutions on TV and film sets.

Bender is known for his work on the set of “The Santa Clauses” — a Christmas movie about a 65-year-old Santa searching for a fitting replacement as he inches toward retirement. His long list of projects includes set design work on “Love Victor,” “Real Husbands of Hollywood,” HBO’s “The Hype,” and many more.

Charlie Barnett and Drew Bender at the “Shea Couleé All-Stars” Premiere at EssentiaLyfe in Los Angeles, CA, on May 20, 2022. | Source: Getty Images

Charlie Barnett Married Drew Bender in a Low-Key Cowboys-Themed Wedding

In 2022, Barnett opened up about his relationship with the set designer. He disclosed they were engaged and on the cusp of their cowboy-themed wedding. He added that he worked on a ranch for a long time — while studying at Juilliard — and it provided him with physical relief after mentally draining workdays.

The actor then proceeded to provide insight into his familiarity with cowboy culture and the unpopular group of black cowboys. He also expanded on the history of Montana and Wyoming. He said:

“I’m from Florida, so I learned a lot. I got really educated on black cowboys, specifically female black cowboys, cowpeople? I don’t know how to say it. There’s a deep, rich history, especially in Wyoming and Montana, lot of runaway slaves, but we don’t talk about them.”

Barnett revealed that he is the “bridezilla” of the pair and dubbed his partner a “very chill” person. Bender’s husband was the self-appointed finder of their necessities, such as a porta-potty. He believes that being the one to find their things makes him the “bridezilla.”

Their wedding was unique in that they did not have a wedding cake. They replaced the traditional wedding cake with pies. “It’s a higher altitude, so it’s hard to bake cakes up there,” Barnett said. Their guests were accommodated in cabins and RVs, keeping with their cowboy theme’s essence.

Although Bender and his husband did not share photos of their interracial gay wedding, their friends and family posted pictures of the time-capsule event. They married in July 2022, a month after another gay actor, Netflix’s “Wednesday” star Hunter Doohan, wedded lawyer Fielder Jewett, who he met on Tinder.

Charlie Barnett Was 13 When He Came Out as Gay

Barnett revealed to an Outfest Q&A audience that he was 13 when he came out as gay after his parents became concerned about his seemingly different persona and decided to have a conversation with the actor about his sexuality. Barnett lit up the audience when he revealed they sat him down and said, “homie.”

The actor revealed that his first encounter with someone who represented what he felt within himself was when he saw “Basquiat.” The film is about the great black and queer New York City artist, Jean-Michel-Basquiat, who is portrayed by Jeffery Wright.

Barnett divulged that being gay has given him more capabilities and added that he is grateful for being born queer. He credits the gay characters he has portrayed in the past for building up “a certain kind of ability” within himself. His former co-star, Jesse Spencer, is one of the “Chicago Fire” stars who have also left the show.

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