Biografia
Born in the backseat of a car on a snowy night in Eastern Wyoming to a determined mother and a Texas-born cowboy father, he spent his first seven years on the family’s 14,000-acre ranch as the youngest among a tight-knit group of cousins and siblings. Those early years shaped the person he would become, teaching him the importance of family, hard work, and a deep love for the land and nature. His mother, Margaret Mary West, encouraged him to challenge himself and remain strong through adversity. Despite growing up in a remote area, he developed a strong appreciation for art and culture, influenced by his grandmother’s love of reading, which she passed on to all her grandchildren. He would spend hours poring over books of paintings and photographs, imagining himself as the characters in the exotic places depicted.
At age seven, his family moved to New Mexico, where they had once owned a ranch. His father, Byron Brown, continued to teach him the cowboy way, while his mother nurtured his artistic side. He took dance lessons from his aunt, enjoying being the only boy among girls on stage. He studied classical dance for many years, learning lessons that would later benefit his acting career. When his father passed away from cancer just four days after his ninth birthday, he withdrew and struggled with anger over the loss. It was a tough period for him and his family. Holding onto his father’s cowboy heritage, he looked forward to moving to Montana to live on another large ranch. Before they could sell their small horse ranch, a film crew arrived in New Mexico to shoot Silverado. His mother took him to an open casting call, where he landed his first big break. The family then decided to move to California to support his acting career.
He now divides his time between New Mexico, Montana, and California, raising his children with the same values that shaped his own upbringing.
