Czerny was born on 8 February 1959 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the youngest of three children to Polish Canadian parents.

After graduating in 1982, he went on to perform onstage across Canada, from Ottawa's National Arts Centre to Edmonton's Citadel Theatre and the Stratford Festival.

Czerny got his start acting in musicals at Humberside Collegiate Institute in Toronto, under the direction of Janet Keele.

[6] He had prominent roles in The Boys of St. Vincent, Clear and Present Danger, The Ice Storm and The Michelle Apartments.

[9] In 2016, Czerny was cast in the ABC thriller series Quantico for the recurring role of CIA director Matthew Keyes.