Gilchrist was born and spent his early years in London, England. He and his family later relocated to Boston, Massachusetts,[3] and then New York City before finally settling in Toronto, Canada. He discovered his passion for acting at a young age, but it was his acting coach who persuaded him to take his passion to the next level and become a professional actor. He attended the Annex Children's Theatre.[4] He has a brother, Evan Gilchrist.[5]
Gilchrist has portrayed Josh McKellar in Fox's short-lived television show The Winner, as well as portraying "Jamie", the boy who had developed a crush on Lizzie in the show Life with Derek.