Irish actor Robert Sheehan caught everyone's attention as Klaus Hargreeves on The Umbrella Academy [1]. While he may have a thing or two in common with his character — namely Klaus's wittiness and amazing sense of style — the 32-year-old actor is his own person. If you can't wait for season two of The Umbrella Academy [2] to drop on Netflix on July 31, you're not alone. Until then, you can read up on everything that makes Robert one to watch.
Unlike His Umbrella Academy Character, He Doesn't Believe in Ghosts
Although his character on The Umbrella Academy [4] can talk to and see the dead, Robert doesn't actually believe in ghosts. While promoting his 2015 film The Messenger [5], in which he plays a man that can hear dead people, he stated, "I've had strange things happen but I've never put it down to ghostly intervention."
His Most Well-Known Roles Are All Supernatural
Prior to The Umbrella Academy [6], Robert was best-known for his role as Nathan Young on Misfits, which follows the story of five juvenile offenders who are given superpowers after a freak electrical storm hits town. Much like Klaus, Nathan became a fan favourite thanks to his frequent wise-cracks.
Other supernatural roles include a man that can hear dead people in The Messenger, a hopeful knight-in-training named Kay in Season of the Witch, eventual vampire Simon Lewis in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, and of course, Klaus on The Umbrella Academy.
He Is Passionate About Climate Change
In addition to frequently posting about climate change on Twitter [9], Robert is also an ambassador for Project Zero [10]. Project Zero helps raise global awareness about climate change in order to ignite behavioural change and help raise revenue to complete ocean protection projects.
He's Currently Single
Robert's only major public relationship has been with The Mummy star Sofia Boutella, which started after the pair met while filming Jet Trash in 2014. The couple later broke up in 2018 [11], and Robert told Hot Press that his "mind is open to developing a connection with somebody."
He Isn't Afraid to Be Himself
Robert's red carpet fashion over the years has been anything but boring. More recently, he's seemed to favour skirts and mesh tops. When asked about his style, he told Weekend, "If you enjoy colour and vibrancy, wear whatever you like [12]. I think people should feel less restricted by the perimeters of things like 'menswear' and 'womenswear.' It's not something that I really give much credence to when I'm buying clothes — I buy mostly ladies clothes. I think to be yourself, first and foremost, that's the easiest way to think about it."
He Doesn't Drink Caffeine
What started out as a goal to give up caffeine for a week, turned into much longer. He now drinks decaf with soy milk. As to why he decided to stay off caffeine [13], he told The Irish Post that he "carried on because I found I p*ss and sh*t a lot less." Fair!
He's Musically Inclined
Robert can play the banjo, the bodhrán (which is an Irish frame drum) and the spoons. When he was younger he took part in the Fleadh Cheoil [14], which is an Irish music festival for children and teenagers. He also showed off his singing ability in the 2011 rock film, Killing Bono