She is best known for her role as Charley Bordelon West in the Oprah Winfrey Network drama series Queen Sugar.
[1] After graduating from Los Angeles County High School for the Arts in 1999, Gardner later moved to New York City and attended Juilliard School with actress Rutina Wesley, with whom she would later work with in the TV show Queen Sugar.
Gardner began acting on television at an early age, appearing in a recurring role on Viper and guest starring on ER.
While attending Juilliard,[citation needed] she began acting on stage, appearing in such productions like For Colored Girls, The School of Night, and The Seagull.
[4] She had a number of guest-starring roles on television shows including Crossing Jordan, Bones, Heroes, and Castle.