Judge received a scholarship from the University of Oregon and played defensive back and safety for the Ducks from 1982 to 1985. He led in kickoff return yardage for 1983-84 and interceptions in 1984, and earned the Casanova Award in 1982, given to the freshman or newcomer of the year. While at Oregon, Judge was a three time All-American, a Pacific-10 Conference Selection in 1984 and played in the 1985 Hula Bowl.

In 1989 Judge began studying at the Howard Fine Studio in LA. A few of his early roles were in the 1990s Bird on a Wire, Cadence, Neon Rider and MacGyver with Future Stargate SG-1 star Richard Dean Anderson. In the ensuing years, Judge had small parts in various television shows and movies such as 21 Jump Street (with Future SG-1 Director Peter DeLuise), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and House Party 2, and as a regular on Sirens from 1994 to 1995.

Judge's largest role came in 1997 with Stargate SG-1. While at a friend's house, he saw his friend's roommate practicing for an audition for the show and was intrigued. While the roommate was away, Judge looked at the audition notes, then called his agent and insisted he get him an audition, or lose him as a client. At the audition there were three actors trying out for each of the other principal roles, but eight or ten for the role of Teal'c. Judge was confident that he had acquired the part when they dismissed everyone who had read for the part except him.

In 2002, Judge was nominated for a Saturn Award in the category of Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series for his work on Stargate SG-1.

Judge's subsequent work includes guest spots on Andromeda, Stargate Atlantis, The Mentalist, the television movie Personal Effects, and the films Snow Dogs and A Dog's Breakfast, the latter written and directed by fellow Stargate actor David Hewlett. Judge appeared in "Anonymous", the October 26, 2010 episode of NCIS: Los Angeles, and as one of Bane's henchmen in the 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises.

Judge has four children: Christopher Jordan Judge, Cameron Judge, Catrina Jasmine Judge (with his first wife, Margaret Judge), and Chloe Jolie Judge (with former model and Actress Gianna Patton, whom he began dating in 2001 and married on December 28, 2011).

Christopher Judge was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He has one younger brother, Jeff Judge, also an actor. Christopher Judge harbored the Desire to become an actor from an early age, and studied drama in high school. "The television set was my babysitter growing up. I can remember wanting to invoke the feelings that I was getting from television—I wanted to be the one who was the catalyst for those feelings in other people. Performing was something I've always known I was going to do." He always knew that Sports would be a stepping stone to an acting career. Judge was an All-L.A. City football player at Carson High School and graduated from Carson in 1982. He played for legendary Coach Gene Vollnogle.

On June 14, 2016, Christopher Judge confirmed he was the voice actor for Kratos in the 2018 God of War, replacing long time Kratos voice actor Terrence C. Carson.