Clancy Brown
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
The son of a former US Congressman, prolific performer Clancy Brown began his career with a menacing portrayal of Viking Lofgren, a nemesis to Sean Penn, in "Bad Boys" (1983) and, partly because of his height and hulking presence, made his reputation alternating between heavies and law officers in movies like "Highlander" (1985), "Shoot to Kill" (1988) and "Blue Steel" (1990). Both 1990's "Waiting for the Light," which cast him as a laconic loner in support of an eccentric Shirley MacLaine, and "Past Midnight" (USA Network, 1992), as Natasha Richardson's protective co-worker and former lover, offered him the chance to expand his range beyond the parameters established by his earlier work. He returned to villainy with a memorably sadistic turn as prison guard Captain Hadley in "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994), opposite Tim Robbins. When it came time to cast the role of a state trooper in "Dead Man Walking," director Robbins tapped Brown to appear opposite Sean Penn. The actor segued to sci-fi playing Sergeant Zim in Paul Verhoeven's "Starship Troopers" (1997) and then offered a comic turn as a bumbling henchman of a corrupt businessman trying to get his hands on "Flubber" (also 1997).
Brown made his TV-movie debut in "The Room Upstairs," a 1987 CBS "Hallmark Hall of Fame" presentation, and starred in the NBC miniseries "Love, Lies and Murder" (1991) and movies "Desperate Rescue: The Cathy Mahone Story" (NBC, 1993) and "The Patron Saint of Liars" (CBS, 1998), among others. Beginning in 1994, he embarked on a career as a frequently sought-after voice actor with his recurring role of Hakon in the syndicated animated series "Gargoyles." Since then, he has lent his voice to "Mighty Ducks" (ABC), "Superman" (The WB), "All Dogs Go To Heaven: The Series" (syndicated), "Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm" (USA), "The Legend of Calamity Jane" (The WB) and "Zorro" (syndicated). Brown was a regular on the short-lived sci-fi series "Earth 2" (NBC, 1994-95) and played the recurring role of Dr Ellis West, a love interest for Laura Innes' Dr. Weaver on NBC's hit medical drama "ER" in 1997. On stage he has appeared in plays by Chekhov, Strindberg and Shakespeare and starred opposite Mercedes Ruehl in Shaw's "Anthony and Cleopatra" at the Actors Theatre of Louisville in 1992.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Special Thanks (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1983
Film debut, "Bad Boys", starring Sean Penn
1985
Received good reviews as Viktor, Dr Frankenstein's male monster, in the disappointing remake, "The Bride"
1986
Provided a terrifying opponent for Christopher Lambert in "Highlander"
1987
TV-movie debut, "The Room Upstairs" (CBS)
1988
Portrayed Tom Berenger and Sidney Poitier's mountain-climbing nemesis in "Shoot to Kill"
1990
Acted the part of Jamie Lee Curtis' love interest in "Blue Steel"
1992
Offered a supporting turn as Natasha Richardson's protective co-worker and ex-lover in "Past Midnight", a theatrical film which debuted on the USA Network
1992
Was a hoot as the resurrected sheriff in the mean-spirited, gruesome "Pet Sematary II"
1994
Had regular role as John Danziger in short-lived NBC sci-fi series "Earth 2"
1994
Delivered a memorable turn as sadistic prison guard Captain Hadley in "The Shawshank Redemption", starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman
1994
Voiced the recurring character of Hakon in the syndicated animated series "Gargoyles"
1995
Reteamed with Robbins (this time as director-screenwriter) and Sean Penn for "Dead Man Walking", playing a state trooper
1996
Provided the voice of Lex Luther in The WB's animated series "Superman"
1997
Played recurring role of Dr. Ellis West on the hit NBC medical drama "ER"
1997
Co-starred as Sergeant Zim in "Starship Troopers"
1998
Starred opposite Dana Delaney (voice of Lois Lane in animated "Superman") in CBS movie "The Patron Saint of Liars"
1999
Cast as a prison guard in the biopic "The Hurricane", starring Denzel Washington
2002
Starred in the HBO movie "The Laramie Project" about the murder of Matthew Shepard
2003
Cast as Brother Justin Crowe in the HBO series "Carnivàle"
2004
Played Mr. Krabs in "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie" based on the Nickelodeon animated series
2006
Played a Coast Guard commander and a friend of Kevin Costner's in "The Guardian"
2007
Cast with Karl Urban in the Viking film "Pathfinder"
Family
Companions
