 After a brief period spent practicing stage magic, Charles turned to makeup artistry for films and television.In 1995, Charles Porlier, Kevin Haney, and Patricia Green won an Emmy Award for 'Outstanding Makeup for a Miniseries or Special' for "Kissinger and Nixon"  starring Beau Bridges and Ron Silver, but no statue was awarded due to an incorrect screen credit.In 2000, Porlier, alongside Tom Woodruff, Alec Gillis, and Jeff Dawn  were nominated for a Saturn Award (Science Fiction Academy) for best makeup for the Arnold Schwarzenegger film "The 6th Day".