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Irish actor Robert Sheehan was born in Portlaoise, County Laois, the son of Joseph and Maria Sheehan. His father was a member of the Garda Síochána, the police force of the Republic of Ireland. As a child, Sheehan was interested in performing music. He learned how to play the banjo, the bodhrán, and the spoons. He took part in the Fleadh Cheoil, an Irish music competition for children and teenagers.
Sheehan was born in Portlaoise, County Laois, Ireland. He is the youngest of three children born to Maria and Joe Sheehan. At school, he played the banjo, the bodhrán, and the spoons, having joked that he was like "Footloose with spoons"; he also participated in Fleadh Cheoil. Sheehan attended St Paul's school in Portlaoise. 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, and failed his first year examinations, and decided not to attempt the repeats.
Robert Sheehan as a child
His interest in acting started when his mother took him to an audition for the drama film Song for the outcast (2003), about an oppressive school for boys during World War II. Sheehan won an acting role in the film and socialized with other young actors. Following his film debut, Sheehan started acting in theatrical performances.
During the 2000s, Sheehan started appearing in television series. His most prominent roles were as a series regular in the Australian series Foreign Exchange (2004), the historical fantasy Young Blades (2005), the drama series Rock Rivals (2008), and the first two seasons of science fiction series "Misfits" (2009). In "Misfits", the characters are youths in community service who gain superpowers. Sheehan's character, Nathan Young, gains the power of immortality.
Robert Sheehan - Nathan Young "Misfits"
Sheehan had a co-starring role in the drama film Cherrybomb (2009). The film is about two teenage boys who are trying to impress a female love interest trough performing criminal acts. Sheehan's co-star for the film was actor Rupert Grint, and their love interest was played by actress Kimberley Nixon.
Sheehan started the 2010s as a series regular in the crime drama series Love/Hate (2010). He has continued regularly appearing in theatre, film and television roles. Among his most prominent theatrical roles is the role of Richard Duke of Gloucester/Richard III in an adaptation of William Shakespeare's depiction of "The Wars of the Roses".
