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Clancy Brown
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This prolific and versatile actor emerged from the fertile Chicago theatrical scene of the early 1980's. Roles such as "Jean" in August Strindberg's Miss Julie; "Aaron" in Shakespeare's Titus Andronicuc; and "Geisler" in Glen DeCoasta's A Constant Wish brought him to the attention of critics and audiences alike. His film debut as "Viking" in Bad Boys' starring little known actor Sean Penn, brought him to the attention of Hollywood.
It is hard to say for which roles he is best known. From straight shooting Hong Kong Cavalier "Rawhide" in the cult favorite The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai, to the ferocious "Captain Hadley" in the multiple Oscar® Nominated The Shawshank Redemption. His career has been both distinguished and quirky.
Legions of Highlander fans know him as the prototype immortal villain "Kurgan" in the initial film that grew into a franchise. Stephen King fans saw him create the hilarious and terrifying "Gus Gilbert" in Pet Sematary 2. And on the short-lived but well-loved NBC series Earth 2 he found new fans as the gruff but lovable single-dad "John Danziger".
His films have crossed the genres from thrillers (Blue Steel; Donor Unknown; Past Midnight; & Ambition) to true-life drama (Desperate Rescue; Love, Lies and Murder; The Man Who Broke 1000 Chains); from family films (Flubber; Radiant City; Waiting for the Light) to social dramas (Dead Man Walking; Last Light; Female Perversions; Hurricane; The Laramie Project); from action (Starship Troopers; Extreme Prejudice; Shoot to Kill) to animation (Superman; Mortal Kombat; The Mighty Ducks; Spongebob Squarepants). And some of his work defies conventional classification (The Bride; Cast a Deadly Spell; Johnny Ryan).
As a personality, he has managed to remain elusive and mysterious; and while well known and respected within the entertainment industry, has not sought the public exposure and popularity that many of his peers have exploited over the years.
Clancy was born in the rural southwestern Ohio town of Urbana, where his family still lives and operates the local newspaper. He attended Northwestern University on a track scholarship and remains an active alumnus. He was married to television news producer, Jeanne Johnson in 1993 and three years later became a father.