Son of former Congressman from Ohio. Graduated from prestigious St. Albans Prep School in Washington DC, and earned scholarship to Northwestern.

Clancy Brown went to Northwestern University, where he was in the theater program.

For Highlander (1986), he said that he made a life-long friend in Bob Anderson, the sword-master for that film as well as the Star Wars trilogy. Clancy said if he hadn't been an actor, he would have been (in order) a fireman, an aristocrat, an archaeologist/anthropologist, a scuba diver, and a circus acrobat.

On August 20, 2002, Clancy Brown was named chairman of the board of Brown Publishing, a newspaper company owned by his family. He has been a board member since 1987.

Was hospitalized after becoming sick from the prosthetic make up he wore as Viktor in The Bride (1985/I). He was reluctant to don prosthetics for his role in Highlander (1986).

Claims to have been introduced to acting by a neighbor who got him into William Shakespeare at a young age.

Collects animation art.

Describes himself as an avid reader who particularly enjoys the works of Frank Herbert.

Although his character Rawhide dies in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984), Brown is still under contract to appear in a sequel to the film.

Due to his role of Kurgan in Highlander (1986), his voice was featured on the Queen song "Gimme The Prize (Kurgan's Theme)". An alternate version appeared in the film itself, but samples of his voice are included on the 1986 studio album 'A Kind Of Magic'.

Has thrice played senior prison officers in movies dealing with miscarriages of justice: in the fictional The Shawshank Redemption (1994), the tyrannical Capt. Hadley; in true story The Hurricane (1999), the sympathetic Lt. Williams and in Last Light (1993)_ as Lt. McMannis.

Member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity.

Both his grandfather and father (Clarence J. Brown, Sr. & Jr.) were United States Representatives from the 7th District of Ohio. Clarence Sr. served from 1939 to 1965; Clarence Jr. from 1965 to 1983. Both were also candidates for governor of Ohio, both unsuccessful.

Often cast as a villain, but has been described as a very friendly man in real life.

According to the trivia track on the DVD of The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984), his character, Rawhide, did not die but went into a deep coma, and that he was expected to recover very soon.

In 1999, he spear-headed a charity campaign to raise funds for J. Madison Wright, the young girl who played his screen daughter in the TV show "Earth 2" (1994). Madison, then aged fifteen, had developed cardiomyopathy and was in dire need of a heart transplant, a very costly operation which exceeded her family's lifetime health insurance policy. Clancy offered to assist the Wrights' in their plight. He also bought young Madison a laptop computer for her Christmas in 1999. Tragically, Madison died seven years later, in July 2006, of a heart attack.

Is a patron of the Beth Brown Memorial Fund, a scholarship programme designed to assist poorer students who wish to study in the field of paediatric healthcare. The charity is in honour of his elder sister who died in childhood of leukaemia in 1964. It has since expanded to also offer the Clarence J. Brown Scholarship for students interested in pursuing careers in government and public service as well as the Robert Townsley Scholarship for students of journalism.

Originally auditioned for the role of Superman/Clark Kent on Bruce W. Timm's "Superman" (1996) The Animated Series, but Timm felt his voice was better suited to Lex Luthor, bringing the arch villain a smooth combination of menacing brute and charming manipulator. Tim Daly was then cast as Superman/Clark Kent instead.

First acted on stage during a 7th grade school play of "The Mouse That Roared".

His mother was a concert pianist.

Originally attended Northwestern University on a track scholarship as a discus-thrower, but switched majors after two seasons.

Has played two characters having rank of captain and last name of Hadley - The Guardian and The Shawshank Redemption.