Christopher Joseph Burke (born August 26, 1965, in Point Lookout, New York) is an American actor, best known for his character Charles "Corky" Thatcher on the television series Life Goes On.

Early years

He is the youngest of four children of Marian Burke, a retired trade-show manager, and Frank Burke, a retired NYPD inspector. Burke has Down Syndrome, and his parents were told to institutionalize him when he was born, but they decided to raise him at home and nurture his talents. He was encouraged to follow his career objectives no matter how untraditional they seemed for a young man with Down Syndrome. His siblings also worked with him. Many were surprised at how healthy and bright Burke was when he entered formal schooling.

In the early 1980s public schools were not mainstreaming students with disabilities into the general population and there were no good private education programs for disabled students in the area, so Burke was eventually sent to board at the Don Guanella School in Springfield, Pennsylvania and he graduated in 1985. After graduation he worked as an elevator operator and did volunteer work.