Charles Esten Puskar III (September 9, 1965), also known as Chip Esten, is an American actor, musician and comedian. He is best known for his role as country singer Deacon Claybourne on the ABC/CMT drama Nashville (2012-2018), which subsequently kickstarted his own musical career. He's also known for his comedy (as Chip Esten) on the US version of the improv series Whose Line Is it Anyway?.

Filmography

• 2026Drummer Boy — Lord Balfour
• 2026Grizzly Night — Gary Bunney
• 2026Signing Tony Raymond — Coach Crew Marshall
• The Runarounds — Consulting Producer
• Homestead: The Series — Cain Ross
• 2024The Easy Kind — Tye
• 2021Tubydi — Padastro
• Outer Banks — Ward Cameron
• 2018Nashville in Concert
• Nashville — Deacon Claybourne
• Enlightened — Damon Manning
• Jessie — Morgan Ross
• Wilfred — Nick
• NCIS: Los Angeles — John Cole / Ethan Stanhope
• 20081% — John Tipton
• 2008Swing Vote — Lewis
• The Mentalist — Rick Bregman
• 2007American Family — Larry Bogner
• The Winner
• Big Love — Ray Henry
• The New Adventures of Old Christine — Joe Campbell
• The Office — Josh Porter
• 2004Nobody Knows Anything! — Conner Fulton
• 20033-2-1 Penguins!: Moon Menace on Planet Tell-A-Lie — Writer
• Cold Case — John 'The Hawk' Hawkins
• On the Spot
• 2003Water Under the Bridge — Don
• 2002Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet — Bill (segment "Twelve Miles to Trona")
• 200161* — Kevin Maris
• The Guardian — Mark Hanson
• 2000Thirteen Days — Maj. Rudolf Anderson
• Jack & Jill — Nick Seraph
• 1999Late Last Night — Beverly Hills Cop
• Providence — Ted Shannon
• Rocket Power — Writer
• Jesse — Tad
• The Brian Benben Show
• Just Shoot Me! — Jake
• 1997The Postman — Michael
• 1997The Sleepwalker Killing — Mark Schall
• JAG — Pete "Pistol" Ayers
• Star Trek: Voyager — Dathan
• The Crew — Randy Anderson
• The Drew Carey Show — Chip
• ER — Barry Grossman
• Party of Five — Luke
• Diagnosis: Murder — Joe Carter
• Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman — Ethan Press
• Married... with Children — Lonnie
• Star Trek: The Next Generation — Divok
• Cheers — Marine
• Flint — Flint
• My Jesus — Kent Wilson
• Signing Day — Coach Crew Marshall

Appearances as themselves (9)

• The Kelly Clarkson Show — Self
• 2017Die Helene Fischer Show 2017 — Self
• Whose Line Is It Anyway? — Self
• Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza — Self
• Drew Carey's Green Screen Show — Self
• CMT Music Awards — Self - Host, Self - Presenter
• 2001Drew Carey's Improv All Stars — Self (as Chip Esten)
• Hollywood Squares — Self - Panelist
• Whose Line Is It Anyway? — Self