Robert Sheehan

Sheehan was born in Portlaoise, County Laois. He is the youngest of three children born to Maria and Joe Sheehan, who was a garda.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2013/aug/03/robert-sheehan-so-much-trouble|title=Robert Sheehan: 'I'm going to get in so much trouble'|last=Conner|first=Megan|date=3 August 2013|newspaper=guardian.com|access-date=13 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130814104537/http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2013/aug/03/robert-sheehan-so-much-trouble|archive-date=14 August 2013|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.leinsterexpress.ie/news/local/robert-sheehan-interview-sheehan-no-portlaoise-misfit-1-2049570|title=Robert Sheehan Interview|publisher=leinsterexpress.ie|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120518014534/http://www.leinsterexpress.ie/news/local/robert-sheehan-interview-sheehan-no-portlaoise-misfit-1-2049570|archive-date=18 May 2012|url-status=dead|access-date=30 September 2010}}

At school, he played the banjo, the bodhrán, and the spoons, having joked that he was like "Footloose with spoons";{{cite web|title=Robert Michael Sheehan biography|url=http://robert-sheehan.fan-sites.org/robert/biography/|access-date=15 May 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130704011529/http://robert-sheehan.fan-sites.org/robert/biography/|archive-date=4 July 2013}} he also participated in Fleadh Cheoil.

Sheehan attended St Paul's school in Portlaoise for primary school. He attended Ballyfin College for secondary school , which went on to become a famous hotel. Unsure of whether acting was a sustainable career choice, he studied film and television at Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology. He missed several months of the course to film Summer of the Flying Saucer, failed his first-year examinations, and decided not to attempt the repeats.{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/robert-sheehan-boy-in-the-hoody-1.1251073|title=Robert Sheehan: Boy in the hoody|date=9 February 2013|last=Freyne|first=Patrick|access-date=27 February 2019|newspaper=The Irish Times}}

Sheehan became interested in acting in primary school when he played Oliver in Oliver with a Twist. At the age of fourteen, he auditioned for Song for a Raggy Boy, and won the role, spending three months in Cork to film. He later joined the Laois Open Door theatre group, and played the crippled boy in a production of The Cripple of Inishmaan.{{Cite web|url=https://www.leinsterexpress.ie/news/whats-on/223637/join-the-laois-theatre-group-that-helped-hone-the-skills-of-robert-sheehan.html|title=Join the Laois theatre group that helped hone the skills of Robert Sheehan|website=leinsterexpress.ie|date=13 November 2016 |access-date=22 February 2019|url-access=subscription }} At the age of 16, Sheehan appeared in the Australian television show Foreign Exchange. He followed it with roles in The Clinic and The Tudors,{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/television/a-lot-of-interesting-stuff-has-happened-robert-sheehan-on-why-turning-30-has-made-him-reflective-and-how-he-loves-coming-home-37695277.html|title='A lot of interesting stuff has happened' – Robert Sheehan on why turning 30 has made him reflective and how he loves 'coming home'|date=12 January 2019|access-date=27 February 2019|work=Irish Independent}} and portrayed Louis XIV of France in Young Blades. In 2008, he appeared in Rock Rivals and Bitter Sweet, a two-part television comedy-drama. During this time, he also appeared in films including Ghostwood.

File:Robert Sheehan 2012.jpg

After leaving the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Sheehan starred as one of the lead characters in Cherrybomb in 2009.{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/robert-sheehan-i-was-largely-motivated-by-terror-the-fear-of-getting-it-completely-wrong-1.2136817|title=Robert Sheehan: 'I was largely motivated by terror, the fear of getting it completely wrong'|date=13 March 2015|last=Brady|first=Tara|access-date=27 February 2019|newspaper=The Irish Times}} In March 2009, he appeared in the role of BJ in the Channel 4 trilogy Red Riding. Sheehan described the role as "weighty" and a "step up" from his previous work, and credits the show with changing his career.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2013/aug/03/robert-sheehan-so-much-trouble|title=Robert Sheehan: 'I'm going to get in so much trouble'|date=3 August 2013|last=Conner|first=Megan|access-date=27 February 2019|work=The Guardian}}

From 2009 to 2010, he starred as Nathan Young, a young offender, in the first two series of the British TV series Misfits. In April 2011, it was announced that Sheehan would not be returning to the show for the third season.{{cite news|url=http://www.digitalspy.ie/tv/s145/misfits/news/a313767/robert-sheehan-not-returning-to-misfits.html|title=Robert Sheehan not returning to 'Misfits'|date=10 April 2011|access-date=10 April 2010|work=Digital Spy|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110412040836/http://www.digitalspy.ie/tv/s145/misfits/news/a313767/robert-sheehan-not-returning-to-misfits.html|archive-date=12 April 2011|url-status=live}} Regarded as a "cult favourite",{{cite web|url=https://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/irish-actor-robert-sheehan-discovers-his-daggy-self-in-ben-eltons-new-film-three-summers/news-story/7543a4bbdbb9a1bb28ec9ba9f545604a|title=Irish actor Robert Sheehan discovers his "daggy" self in Ben Elton's new film Three Summers|date=28 October 2017|last=Johnson|first=Neala|access-date=27 February 2019|work=The Courier-Mail}} Sheehan connected "intensely" with the role, which he later described as "defining", and "a lovely, gorgeous memory for me,"{{Cite web|date=31 July 2020|title=Robert Sheehan: 'Everything that's not the government line gets labelled a "conspiracy theory"'|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/robert-sheehan-interview-umbrella-academy-season-2-netflix-klaus-a9642571.html|access-date=11 September 2020|website=The Independent|language=en}} and remarked it was "challenging" to leave it behind. In May 2011, he was nominated for a BAFTA Award in the "Male Supporting Actor" category for his role in Misfits. Beginning in 2010, he played Darren, a member of gangland Dublin in Love/Hate. He accepted the part because he wanted to work with Stuart Carolan and Dave Caffrey, and featured in three seasons. After leaving the series, his character's ubiquitous blue hoodie was donated to the Dunamaise Theater in Portlaoise, and he remarked it was "tough to watch [the] show carry on without [me]".{{cite web|url=https://www.thejournal.ie/robert-sheehan-darren-love-hate-interview-2008123-Mar2015/|title=Robert Sheehan on Love/Hate: "It's tough to watch a show carry on without you"|date=15 March 2005|last=Barry|first=Aoife|access-date=27 February 2019|work=Journal.ie}} He was nominated for an Irish Film and Television Award for the role in 2011 and 2013. In 2011, Sheehan played Kay in Season of the Witch alongside Nicolas Cage and Ron Perlman.{{cite news |last=Catsoulis |first=Jeannette |date=6 January 2011 |title=Deserters From the Crusades |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/07/movies/07season.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=3 January 2024}}

Sheehan was nominated for an Irish Film and Television Award in the Rising Star category in 2010.{{cite news|url=http://www.ifta.ie/iftawinners2010/index.htm|title=Winners of the 7th Annual Irish Film & Television Awards|work=IFTN|publisher=Irish Film and Television Network|access-date=16 April 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120143219/http://www.ifta.ie/iftawinners2010/index.htm|archive-date=20 January 2012|url-status=live}} The following year, he starred in the film Killing Bono, and in John Crowley's production of The Playboy of the Western World at the Old Vic Theatre. Sheehan appeared in the second season of the BBC crime drama series Accused, which aired in 2012.{{cite news|url=http://iftn.ie/news/?act1=record&only=1&aid=73&rid=4284464&tpl=archnews&force=1|title=Robert Sheehan Cast in BBC's 'Accused'|first=Ciara|last=Drohan|work=IFTN|publisher=Irish Film and Television Network|access-date=25 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502044236/http://iftn.ie/news/?act1=record&only=1&aid=73&rid=4284464&tpl=archnews&force=1|archive-date=2 May 2012|url-status=live}} He played Simon Lewis in the 2013 film The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones,{{cite news|last=Wilkinson|first=Amy|title='Mortal Instruments' Actor Robert Sheehan Makes Magic Out of the Mundane|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1706470/mortal-instruments-city-of-bones-simon.jhtml|access-date=15 May 2013|newspaper=MTV|date=29 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130501215647/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1706470/mortal-instruments-city-of-bones-simon.jhtml|archive-date=1 May 2013|url-status=dead}} and followed it with roles in Anita B., The Road Within, Moonwalkers, and The Messenger in 2014 and 2015. In late 2015, he played Richard III in Trevor Nunn's revival of The Wars of the Roses, an adaption of William Shakespeare's plays Richard III and the three part Henry VI. In a 2018 interview with Hot Press, Sheehan described the role as his recent favourite, citing the "magic" and "transcendent experience" of being on stage.

The Song of Sway Lake premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival in 2017, and was released theatrically the following year. It was filmed prior to 2014, and reflecting on the role in 2019, Sheehan described himself as "immensely proud".{{cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2019/0118/1024006-robert-sheehan-immensely-proud-of-song-of-sway-lake/|title=Exclusive Robert Sheehan 'immensely proud' of The Song of Sway Lake|date=18 January 2019|last=Brennan|first=Sinead|access-date=25 February 2019|publisher=Raidió Teilifís Éireann}}{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/the-song-of-sway-lake-review-1202947953/|title=Film Review: 'The Song of Sway Lake'|date=20 September 2018|last=Schager|first=Nick|access-date=25 February 2019|work=Variety}} During 2017, he also appeared in Geostorm and featured in the second season of Fortitude, for which he was nominated for an Irish Film and Television Award.{{cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2018/1104/1008571-robert-sheehan-on-films-fame-and-trusting-his-gut/|title=Exclusive Robert Sheehan on films, fame and trusting his gut|date=7 November 2018|last=Brennan|first=Sinead|access-date=25 February 2019|publisher=Raidió Teilifís Éireann}} In 2018, he appeared in Genius: Picasso as Carlos Casagemas and in The Young Offenders Christmas special as a caricatured version of himself.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/style/celebrity/celebrity-news/a-long-way-from-lovehate-robert-sheehan-makes-colourful-arrival-to-tribeca-film-festival-36833172.html|title=A long way from Love/Hate! Robert Sheehan makes colourful arrival to Tribeca Film Festival|date=23 April 2018|access-date=25 February 2019|work=Irish Independent}} He also appeared in several films; he starred alongside David Tennant in Bad Samaritan, appeared in the neo-noir film Mute,{{cite web|url=http://collider.com/bad-samaritan-robert-sheehan-interview/#umbrella-academy|title=Robert Sheehan on Dean Devlin's 'Bad Samaritan' and Netflix's 'Umbrella Academy'|date=2 May 2018|last=Radish|first=Christina|access-date=25 February 2019|publisher=Collider}} and starred in Mortal Engines in the leading role of Tom Natsworthy.

In 2019, he starred in the Netflix Original series The Umbrella Academy as Klaus Hargreeves.

On 15 October 2021, Sheehan published his debut novel, Disappearing Act: A Host of Other Characters in 16 Short Stories.{{cite news |last=O'Hanlon |first=Emer |date=30 October 2021 |title=Disappearing Act: Robert Sheehan shocks and stuns in debut with a real sense of fun |url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/book-reviews/disappearing-act-robert-sheehan-shocks-and-stuns-in-debut-with-a-real-sense-of-fun/40990629.html |work=Irish Independent |access-date=3 January 2024}}

He was cast in August 2022 to be one of the main villains in the upcoming film Red Sonja. He will be playing Draygan.{{Cite web |last=Vlessing |first=Etan |date=23 August 2022 |title='Red Sonja': Matilda Lutz to Star in Millennium's Sword and Sorcery Feature |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/red-sonja-matilda-lutz-millenium-movie-1235203961/ |access-date=12 November 2023 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}

In May 2024, Sheehan will play Withnail in the world premiere of Withnail and I by Bruce Robinson and directed by Sean Foley based on the 1987 film at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. In July, he will appear in Reunion written and directed by Mark O’Rowe for the Galway International Arts Festival.

Sheehan resides in West Cork.{{cite web|first=Lauren|last=Murphy|date=7 July 2024|title=Robert Sheehan on moving to west Cork after finding Netflix fame|url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/ireland-world/article/robert-sheehan-on-moving-to-west-cork-after-finding-netflix-fame-zsd503hvv|website=The Sunday Times|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240707003017/https://www.thetimes.com/world/ireland-world/article/robert-sheehan-on-moving-to-west-cork-after-finding-netflix-fame-zsd503hvv|archive-date=7 July 2024|url-status=live}} He has also lived in London{{cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2018/1026/1006784-sheehan-caught-up-with-family-filming-young-offenders/|title=Robert Sheehan caught up with family filming Young Offenders|date=26 October 2018|last=Brennan|first=Sinead|access-date=25 February 2019|publisher=Raidió Teilifís Éireann}} and Los Angeles.

He has spoken openly about experimenting with his sexuality when younger, but identifies himself as heterosexual.{{cite web|url=https://www.hotpress.com/culture/full-hot-press-interview-robert-sheehan-22760402|title=The Full Hot Press Interview with Robert Sheehan|date=24 October 2018|last=O'Toole|first=Jason|access-date=25 February 2019|work=Hot Press}}

He was in a relationship with actress Sofia Boutella from March 2014 until October 2018.{{cite news|url=https://www.irishmirror.ie/showbiz/irish-showbiz/lovehates-robert-sheehan-reveals-hes-13984922|title=Love/Hate's Robert Sheehan opens up on future baby plans|last=Gallagher|first=Katie|date=11 February 2019|work=Irish Mirror|access-date=11 September 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/style/celebrity/celebrity-features/robert-sheehan-on-girlfriend-sofia-boutella-youre-staring-at-five-months-apart-but-it-always-works-out-35414996.html|title=Robert Sheehan on girlfriend Sofia Boutella: 'You're staring at five months apart, but it always works out'|website=Independent.ie|date=5 February 2017 |language=en|access-date=11 September 2019}}

File:Robert Sheehan at diff 2015.jpg

File:Robert Sheehan MingFilmFest 2011.jpg

In September 2013, Sheehan was honoured by University College Dublin's Literary and Historical Society.[http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/lovehates-robert-sheehan-honoured-at-ucd-29606916.html Love/Hate's Robert Sheehan honoured at UCD]. Independent.ie (24 September 2013). Retrieved on 15 July 2014. In October 2015, he received the Burke Medal for Contribution to Discourse Through The Arts from College Historical Society in Trinity College Dublin.[http://www.universitytimes.ie/2015/10/a-buzz-in-the-gmb-chamber-for-the-hists-robert-sheehan-event/ Hist's Robert Sheehan Event] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310203505/http://www.universitytimes.ie/2015/10/a-buzz-in-the-gmb-chamber-for-the-hists-robert-sheehan-event/ |date=10 March 2016 }}. UniversityTimes.ie (19 October 2015). Retrieved on 10 March 2016.

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Category:Irish male film actors

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Category:Irish expatriates in England

Category:1988 births