Born in the UK and raised in the US, Charles Aitken, after completing his Bachelor's degree in History from the Duke University, North Carolina, he went to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in England. It was during this time at the Royal Academy that he got his first tryst with acting, he was an active participant in the various stage shows at the university. Within a year of his graduation from the school, he played the male lead in West End play titled Hair. In 2006, Aitken received wide critical appreciation for his role as the son of God in Oxford Playhouse's touring version of Paradise Lose and for playing the role of Joe Buck in the stage adaptation of Midnight Cowboy, which was screened at the Edinburgh Festival.

After a brief stint of working in the stage, Aitken forayed into acting in TV series and films; he made his debut on the small screen with Bonkers (2007) where he played the role of Tim Barker. He subsequently appeared in series like Foyle's War (2013), The Knick (2014-15), Sleepy Hollow (2016), and Frontier (2016). The theater artist-turned-film actor made his debut on the silver screen with The Girl on the Train (2013) and his other notable film credit includes Happy Death Day (2017).