Ferdinand Gottschalk was born in London. His first stage appearance was in Toronto, Canada in 1888 with the Rosina Vokes Company with which he performed until 1893. He became a member of Charles's Frohman's Lyceum Stock Company in New York. The Company toured the U.S. with a stop in Seattle in 1895 where Gottshchalk performed in "The Amazons" and "An Ideal Husband" at the Seattle Theatre. Gottschalk also worked in films and wrote and produced plays.