American actor Trent Dawson was born on February 4, 1971 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Interesting in acting since he was a young boy, he honed his craft in church and school plays. He attended Boston University before suddenly leaving for Europe, deciding to take a break from everything. He returned after a year and studied theater at the University of Colorado, while he also performed at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival during the summer breaks.
Upon graduation, he moved to New York and decided to try his luck there as an actor. His first breakthrough was when he landed a role in the national tour of Romeo and Juliet, which saw him perform in numerous venues across the country. He also starred in the Broadway adaptation of the successful West End play The Herbal Bed. In 1996, he co-founded the Blue Coat Repertory Company, which staged several off-off-Broadway plays.
Dawson then made the jump to television. After being a day player on Guiding Light, he auditioned successfully for a role in As the World Turns. He originated the role of Henry Coleman, the martini-loving gambler who is willing to do anything to get to the top. He is the sister of Maddie Coleman (Alexandra Chando). His character was supposed to last for a few episodes, but reaction and feedback from fans was positive, so the producers returned his character occasionally. This set-up lasted for the first five years, since he joined in 1999; in between, he resumed acting on stage plays. Finally, in 2005, Dawson was signed to a contract.