Christopher Malcolm Bruno was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and grew up in Milford, Connecticut, where he spent time with both his parents, Nancy Mendillo and Scott Bruno. He developed an appreciation for the arts but initially didn't consider it a career path. Bruno attended college in Vermont, where he studied Psychology and was a member of the ski-team.
During his sophomore year, he was sidelined with an injury and decided to try acting, landing the lead role in a play, Machiavelli's "The Mandrake." This experience sparked his passion for the arts, and he transferred to Stony Brook University, changing his major to Theater and becoming a walk-on starting pitcher for their baseball team.
After college, Bruno moved to New York and worked as a bartender before landing a two-year contract on NBC's Another World. He was nominated for a Soap Opera Digest Award for "Outstanding Newcomer" during his first year on the show. Later, he was cast as Michael Delaney on All My Children, a groundbreaking role for a gay school teacher who loses his job due to social prejudice.
Bruno relocated to Los Angeles to advance his career, performing stand-up comedy at The Improv and being discovered by a Warner Bros executive. He went on to appear in various TV shows and films, including "Suddenly Susan," "The Nanny," "Jesse," and "Oh Grow Up."
In 1998, he and his brother, Dylan Bruno, were cast in the TV show "The Force." He also appeared in the films "Last of the Romantics" and "The World's Fastest Indian," opposite Sir Anthony Hopkins.
During his hiatus from "The Dead Zone," he directed an episode of the show, titled "Independence Day," which was dedicated to the memory of his mother, Nancy Mendillo Bruno, who had passed away from breast cancer.
After "The Dead Zone" was canceled, Bruno appeared in various TV shows and films, including "Numb3rs," "Prison Break," "The Cell 2," and "Castle." In 2013, he teamed up with his cousin, Vohn Regensburger, to produce and star in the feature film "A Remarkable Life," in which he and Dylan played actual brothers.
In 2013, he joined the cast of ABC Family's "The Fosters" and played Danny on MTV's "Awkward." On December 8, 2017, he made his professional debut as an MMA fighter.