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


Went to Northwestern University, where he was in the theater program. On August 20, 2002, he was named chairman of the board of Brown Publishing, a newspaper company owned by his family. He has been a board member since 1987. Claims to have been introduced to acting by a neighbor who got him into William Shakespeare at a young age. Describes himself as an avid reader who particularly enjoys the works of Frank Herbert. 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". Member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. Often cast as a villain, but has been described as a very friendly man in real life. In 1999 he spearheaded 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 15, 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 Christmas in 1999. Tragically, Madison died seven years later, in July 2006, of a heart attack. 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. His mother was a concert pianist. Has played two characters named Capt. Hadley: The Guardian (2006/I) and The Shawshank Redemption (1994). Daughter Rose Beth Brown (born in October 1995). He also has a son born in 2003.