Ian Clay was born in Canada and raised throughout Alberta, including time spent living on a Native reservation. Clay attended King Alfred's College in the United Kingdom and shot a documentary on the lives' of gypsies. He finished college with a Criminal Justice degree and a Bachelor of Education in English and Drama. He started teaching in a gritty high school in the South Bronx before moving to Los Angeles. "Losing You" was his Hollywood feature debut as actor, writer, and director.