Rodney Gardiner grew up in Miami, FL with his two brothers and parents, who hail from Turks & Caicos in the Caribbean. He attended New World School of the Arts and also performed with a traveling performance group, entertaining and educating folks in drug rehab facilities, jails, group homes, and shelters. It is in this early phase, performing in under-served communities, where Gardiner developed a penchant for versatility and bold character work.Gardiner later attended SUNY Purchase (Acting Conservatory) in New York and upon graduating, joined Waterwell Theatre. With Waterwell, Rodney has co-devised, co-adapted, and performed in several productions, including "The Persians", and "The Last Year in the Life of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King." Gardiner would go on to perform all over the country at some of the nation's most prestigious companies, including The Guthrie Theater, The Old Globe, Berkeley Rep, and ten seasons at Oregon Shakespeare Festival.