Clancy Brown

HBO tried to expand it's oh-so-edgy original programming back in 2003 with a sci-fi show about Carnies that took place in the 1930's. I know, right? That description alone had you hooked! Carnivale wasn't all that bad, it was interesting. The head writer of the first season was Ronald Moore (Battlestar Galatica, anyone??) and yes, it lasted more than one season...it lasted two seasons! It had big, ambitious storylines seated in the Bible and mythology. But, what I think it suffered from more than anything was it's pace. It was one looooong hour of TV. I watched Carnivale, at first out of interest, the commercials made it look cool. When I realized it wasn't all that cool, I tuned in for Clancy Brown.

Again, this was an actor who I knew. Mostly from "Highlander"! He was The Kurgan! All head safety pinned on to his neck and everything! He got me though, on Carnivale ,oh, goodness did I have another weird crush on this man. His character, Brother Justin was a horrible, horrible person, a preacher who was like, a demon? Maybe? I think so, and he has a weird relationship with his sister played by Amy Madigan. And he had these dreams, dreams about Nick Stahl and ...stuff. Wow. I really thought I would be able to remember the finer points of Carnivale better, apparently not. Brother Justin did have a gigantic tree tattooed on his back, I do remember that, and was something of a rapist. But, at the same time, he was still preaching and trying to do good. Like our pal Rachel said recently, "the best villains have a little bit of good in them..." and he did, to an extent. So, his dastardly character was fun to watch, Clancy was the most fun. His voice, deep and scary, his physicality, tall and imposing, (according to the IMDB, he's nearly 6'4!) and his big hands...

My love for CB burned brightest when I was working at Barnes and Noble. I was in charge of the Children's department at my store, and one night, whilst bored and waiting to close, I was looking through a Spongebob Squarepants episode guide...flip, flip, flip, I get the page about Mr. Krabs, "voiced by Clancy Brown." WTF?!?!?! I believe I got home that evening and set the Tivo for some Spongebob. Sure enough, the little red owner of the Krusty Krab with his pirate accent and grovel was none other that Clancy Brown (a character he still voices!)

CB, natch, has also recently been on an episode of Law and Order, along with Lost, and doing voice-over work for countless cartoons.

On film, Clancy Brown has appeared in, along with "Highlander" ("it won an Oscar." "For what?" "Best Movie Ever Made.") "Shawshank Redemption", some Ashton Kutcher crap, the new "Nightmare on Elm Street"....all kinds of stuff! It seems he is also always up to play some rough and tumble ancient warrior of some kind to.

I haven't seen Clancy in anything recently, aside from the Law and Order episode, and my Carnivale DVDs (yea, I bought season one) sit on my shelf unwatched. Perhaps I will have to dive back in, to re-ignite my love for the CB.

But, Carnivale was such a dumb show....

Oh, and he was the star of Earth 2! Dare I say, Earth 2, anyone???