Born in Pickering, Ontario, Kristen Holden-Reid was studying at Montreal's Concordia University School of Business when he went to his first audition and landed the leading role in 12th century drama Young Ivanhoe. It helped that he was a champion competitor in riding and fencing. Holden-Reid is a former member of the Canadian National Pentathlon Team and has a silver medal from both the Pan American and Pan Pacific Pentathlon Championships.

Holden-Reid has trained with Uta Hagen's Master Class Scene Study, with Janine Manatis as well as at the Green Room Actor's Workshop and the National Film Acting School.

Holden-Reid has built himself a respected and growing reputation as a character actor. He's had juicy roles in Touch of Pink, Alice Blue, Icebound, The Many Trials of One Jane Doe, Hemingway Vs Callaghan, Street Time, Killing Spring, K-19 The Widowmaker, Chasing Cain I: Vows, The Jimmi Hendrix Story, Forget Me Never and The Crossing. Holden-Reid has also had recurring role on such television shows as Paradise Falls, Degrassi: The Next Generation and Riverdale.