Josh Gilmer was born in Peoria, Illinois and grew up in the small town of Bartonville. He is best known for his recurring role as Leo Sikes on OWN's All Rise (2022), Emmett Dalton on INSP's Wild West Chronicles (2020), and Drew in Passionflix's romantic comedy Seduction & Snacks (2021). He is the son of retired MSW Cindy Gilmer and retired Teacher and Coach Jim Gilmer. He made his Televison debut on the show In Defense Of where he portrayed Ted Bundy. He received his B.A. in Communication from Northern Illinois University and worked in Sales and Marketing for a period of time before enrolling at Baron Brown Studios and began acting full time.