Charlie Carver (Charles Carver Martensen) was born in San Francisco, California, to Robert Martensen, a doctor and writer, and Anne Carver, a philanthropist and community activist. Max and his twin brother Charlie have different birthdays: Charlie was born on July 31, and Max seven minutes later, on August 1. At an early age, he moved to a small town in the Napa Valley, in California's wine country.

It was there, at school, that Charlie first became acquainted with acting. He later studied acting at ACT San Francisco, the Interlochen Arts Academy, the University of Southern California, and at the private studio The Imagined Life in Los Angeles.