The best Clancy Brown movies and TV shows include early roles in fantasy and science fiction films and TV shows and later as one of the most prolific voice actors in the world. Fans from the 1980s got to know him well thanks to his role as the scary and dangerous Kurgan in the original Highlander movie, starring Christopher Lambert. This led to several other genre roles in films like the Stephen King sequel Pet Sematary 2 and the science fiction classic Starship Troopers.
He also took on some prestigious parts, including in the Oscar-nominated The Shawshank Redemption as one of the prison guards and later in the HBO television series Carnivale. However, his most prominent roles have been in animated films and TV shows, with voice roles stretching out for decades. He voiced Lex Luthor in the DCAU for many years, and that is one of over a dozen characters he lent his voice to in Marvel and DC movies and TV shows. He even added live-action to his comic roles, with an appearance in HBO’s The Penguin.
10
Dexter: New Blood (2021-2022)
Kurt Caldwell
Dexter: New Blood
7/10
- Release Date
-
2021 – 2022-00-00
- Showrunner
-
Clyde Phillips
- Directors
-
Marcos Siega
- Writers
-
Alexandra Franklin, Jeff Lindsay, Marc Muszynski, Clyde Phillips, Kirsa Rein, Alexandra Salerno, Scott Reynolds, Veronica West, Tony Saltzman, David McMillan, Warren Hsu Leonard
In 2021, Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) was back on Showtime in a sequel series, 10 years after he faked his own death in the crime drama Dexter. In this series, fans saw how Dexter was living in the years since he faked his death, and then turned his entire life upside down when his son Harrison Morgan (Jack Alscott) found him and was worried he had inherited the “Dark Passenger” that plagued his dad’s life for so many years. This, of course, led to the arrival of another serial killer.
Related
Dexter: New Blood Returning Cast & New Character Guide
New Blood’s cast features several new actors for characters in Dexter’s adopted home, while also bringing back a few key familiar faces.
Clancy Brown played that serial killer, a truck-stop diner owner named Kurt Caldwell, a murderer who targets women. He and Dexter cross paths when Dexter kills his son Matt, a stockbroker who once killed five people and got away with it thanks to his family’s wealth. When he finds out Dexter is responsible, he influences Harrison in his attempt at revenge. While not the best Dexter serial killer character, Brown brings his imposing stature and menacing demeanor to make him a true threat.
9
Billions (2018-2023)
Waylon “Jock” Jeffcoat
Billions
- Release Date
-
2016 – 2023-00-00
- Showrunner
-
David Levien
- Directors
-
David Levien
- Writers
-
David Levien
Most of Clancy Brown’s roles have been in fantasy, science fiction, superhero, action, and other genre movies and TV shows. However, one of his more surprisingly great roles came in a series in none of those genres. Billions is a drama series about a United States Attorney in New York named Chuck Rhoades Jr. (Paul Giamatti) setting his sights on a hedge fund billionaire named Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis), who he knows is involved in major white collar criminal activities.
He was a perfect villain, one of the “good guys” who swayed cases to help him get wealthier while quoting Bible scripture the entire time.
However, there is always someone worse. In the final seasons, Corey Stoll proved even more dangerous and crooked than Axe. Another person, on the other side, who was also criminally complicit was Waylon “Jock” Jeffcoat, the Attorney General of the United States, played by Clancy Brown. He was a perfect villain, one of the “good guys” who swayed cases to help him get wealthier while quoting Bible scripture the entire time.
8
John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
The Harbinger
John Wick: Chapter 4
8/10
- Release Date
-
March 24, 2023
- Runtime
-
169 minutes
- Director
-
Chad Stahelski
- Writers
-
Shay Hatten, Michael Finch
In John Wick: Chapter 4, John Wick sets out to gain revenge against the people who tried to kill him, and he isn’t letting anyone who was involved off. However, he also ends up forced to face one of the high table’s most powerful members, the Marquis Vincent Bisset de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård). To get there, he has to fight his way through endless assassins and is almost exhausted when he arrives. When there, the fight with the Marquis is presided over by a man known as the Harbinger.
Related
John Wick: Chapter 4 – Cast & Character Guide
From its returning star, Keanu Reeves, to newcomers like Donnie Yen, the John Wick: Chapter 4 cast has action movie icons playing badass characters.
Clancy Brown plays the Harbinger, who is a high-ranking operative of the High Table. His only role is to oversee the rules set by the High Table and keep the criminal underworld under control. He is necessary to settle the disputes and hostilities between different members of the Table as well, making him one of the most powerful characters in the entire John Wick universe. He oversees the duel between John Wick and Caine (substituting for Marquis Vincent Bisset de Gramont).
7
Promising Young Woman (2020)
Stanley Thomas
Promising Young Woman
8/10
- Release Date
-
December 25, 2020
- Runtime
-
113 minutes
- Director
-
Emerald Fennell
- Writers
-
Emerald Fennell
In 2020, Clancy Brown took on a role in a revenge movie about a young woman who seeks revenge against a group of very bad men. Carey Mulligan stars as Cassie Thomas, a 30-year-old woman whose best friend Nina was raped and died by suicide when the man responsible was cleared of all charges. When Cassie learns that the man who raped Nina is now getting married and has found great success while her friend is dead, she sets up a plan of revenge against everyone responsible.
Clancy Brown plays Stanley, Cassie’s father, while Jennifer Coolidge plays her mom, Susan. They are there in small supporting roles as they want their daughter to move on from Nina’s death and her obsession with revenge. It’s a minor role in the film, but an important one as it shows Cassie in her home life, which contrasts with the life of the rapists. Promising Young Woman won Best Original Screenplay and was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress (Mulligan).
6
Carnivale (2003-2005)
Brother Justin Crowe
Carnivale
- Release Date
-
2003 – 2005-00-00
- Network
-
HBO
- Directors
-
Jeremy Podeswa, Jack Bender, Scott Winant, John Patterson, Rodrigo García, Tim Hunter, Alan Taylor, Alison Maclean, Dan Lerner, Peter Medak, Steve Shill, Todd Field
- Writers
-
Daniel Knauf, Dawn Prestwich, Nicole Yorkin, Tracy Tormé, Toni Graphia, William Schmidt
-
-
Bree Walker
Sabina Engstrom
During one of the best eras in HBO history, Carnivale was one of several incredible TV shows that aired on the prestigious cable network. Most of these shows were canceled before their time, thanks to a turnover behind the scenes. Carnivale was set in the Dust Bowl of the Great Depression in the 1930s and tracks the lives of people in a traveling carnival. The story follows several mythological themes and motifs and was critically acclaimed, with five Primetime Emmy Awards in 15 nominations.
Clancy Brown was one of the main characters in the series’ two seasons. He played Brother Justin Crowe, the main bad guy in Carnivale. He actually has superhuman powers to manipulate and control those around him through sheer force of will. He is a Methodist minister who is told he needs to kill a man named Henry Scudder. He is based on an Avataric Creature of Dark, and he is the main nemesis of Ben Hawkins (Nick Stahl).
5
Invincible (2021-)
Damien Darkblood, Kregg, Ka-Hor
Invincible
- Release Date
-
2008 – 2008-00-00
- Network
-
MTV
-
Patrick Cavanaugh
Mark Grayson / Invincible (voice)
-
Pete Sepenuk
Nolan Grayson / Omni-Man (voice)
In Invincible, Clancy Brown took on a few voice roles in the series as he voices three characters: Damien Darkblood, Kregg, and Ka-Hor. Based on the Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead) series from Image Comics, Invincible is based on the titular hero who learns that his father is an alien who came to Earth years earlier to prepare it for an invasion by his people and then stands up to defend his new home planet from the invading aliens and his own father at any cost.
Related
All 28 Comic Book Characters Clancy Brown Has Played In Superhero Movies And TV Shows
Clancy Brown is one of the most iconic actors ever, and, appropriately, has played a whopping 28 comic book characters in Marvel and DC projects.
There have been three seasons of the show, and it remains one of Prime Video’s most beloved series. As for Clancy’s three roles, he voices Damien Darkblood, a demon detective who seeks justice so he can redeem his soul. He voices Ka-Hor, an original character for the series, who is a mummified being who is never able to leave his tomb (a recurring joke). Finally, he voices Kregg, one of the major villains in Invincible, a high-ranking Viltrumite warrior who wants to establish his empire as the only one in the universe.
4
Starship Troopers (1997)
Sgt. Charles Zim
Starship Troopers
6/10
- Release Date
-
November 7, 1997
- Runtime
-
129 minutes
- Director
-
Paul Verhoeven
- Writers
-
Edward Neumeier
- Sequel(s)
-
Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation, Starship Troopers 3: Marauder, Starship Troopers: Invasion, Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars
In 2007, Paul Verhoeven took Robert A. Heinlein’s fascist-positive Starship Troopers novel and created a satire that made fun of the entire fascist governing system. The movie is about a military unit whose goal is to fight and destroy a bug-like alien race. The film was misunderstood when it was released, with many slamming it because they believed it was pro-Fascism and Heinlein fans praising it for that exact same reason. However, over time, it has gained fans who understand that it was making fun of Fascists.
The cast was impressive, and Clancy Brown played the important role of Sergeant Zim, Rico’s (Casper Van Dien) drill sergeant during training at the Mobile Infantry. His entire purpose in the movie was to weed out the weak recruits and ensure that only the strongest remained. Brown was supposed to return in the sequel, but he was already working on Carnivale and had to pass on the return.
3
The Penguin (2024)
Sal Maroni
The Penguin
9/10
- Release Date
-
2024 – 2024-00-00
- Showrunner
-
Lauren LeFranc
- Directors
-
Craig Zobel
- Writers
-
Lauren LeFranc
In 2024, Max brought DC fans the streaming series The Penguin, set in the world of the Robert Pattinson The Batman movie. Coin Farrell reprises his role as Oz Cobb, the Penguin, as he tries to fill in the hole left by the murder of Carmine Falcone (which happened in The Batman). Joining Farrell in the series is Clancy Brown, who plays Salvatore Maroni, one of Gotham City’s most notorious crime bosses before he ended up imprisoned after Carmine betrayed him in the past.
Clancy Brown Comic Book Roles:
|
Property |
Character(s) |
|---|---|
|
Marvel Animation |
Sasquatch, Red Hulk, Mister Sinister, Rhino, George Stacy, Ox, Taskmaster, Odin, Ben Parker, Phantom Rider, The Watcher, Black Bolt, Supreme Intelligence |
|
DCAU |
Lex Luthor, Mr. Freeze, Bane, Per Degaton, Rohtul, King Faraday, General Zartok Negative Man, General Immortus, Trident |
|
Green Lantern |
Parallax (Voice) |
|
Thor: Ragnarok |
Surtur (Voice) |
|
Arrowverse |
General Wade Eiling |
|
Marvel Netflix Shows |
Colonel Ray Schoonover |
|
The Penguin |
Salvatore Maroni |
In The Penguin, Oz Cobb visits Maroni in prison during the series’ first episode. He played an important role in the first season, with Oz trying to work with him as an ally and later as an enemy, when Sal tried to finally end Oz’s reign of terror before a heart attack fell him. This was one of many roles that Clancy Brown played in comic book movies and TV shows. His longest-running role was voicing Lex Luthor in the DCAU movies, which lasted around a decade.
2
Highlander (1986)
Kurgan
Highlander
- Release Date
-
March 7, 1986
- Runtime
-
116 minutes
- Director
-
Russell Mulcahy
- Writers
-
Gregory Widen, Peter Bellwood, Larry Ferguson
Clancy Brown started his movie career in 1983 and had a couple of interesting roles early on, including as Rawhide in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension and as Viktor in the Frankenstein story The Bride. However, his true breakout role came in the 1986 fantasy series, Highlander, where he played Victor Kruger, also known as The Kurgan. In Highlander, several immortals live across the world, and they all await the day when there are only a handful remaining for the Gathering.
The Kurgan is the main villain here, and Brown made him into a truly frightening character…
The only way to kill an immortal is by beheading them, and when one immortal beheads another, the dead victim’s power goes into the victor. While many immortals just live in peace, such as the movie lead Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert), others want to kill as many as possible to get to the Gathering, and Kurgan is one of these killers. The Kurgan is the main villain here, and Brown made him into a truly frightening character and one of the most memorable in the entire franchise.
1
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Capt. Byron Hadley
The best movie that Clancy Brown ever appeared in was The Shawshank Redemption. Based on Stephen King’s story, this is one of King’s non-horror prison-based stories, directed by Frank Darabont. The movie stars Tim Robbins as Andy Dufresne, a man falsely convicted of killing his wife and sentenced to life in prison. He meets a man named Red (Morgan Freeman) and begins to find his place in the prison, which includes several violent prison guards and an illegal presence in the guards themselves.
Clancy Brown plays one of the main villains, the head prison guard who abuses and assaults prisoners on a regular basis and is even responsible for killing the man who really killed Andy’s wife to prevent the truth from being uncovered. The movie was hugely successful, with seven Oscar nominations, and Andy was made even more sympathetic thanks to the evil performance by Clancy Brown. The Library of Congress added The Shawshank Redemption to the National Film Registry in 2015.