Robert Sheehan Movies and TV Shows: Full Filmography

Few Irish actors have traveled from cult TV ensemble to global Netflix phenomenon quite like Robert Sheehan. His jump from the brash Nathan Young on Misfits to the haunted Klaus Hargreeves on The Umbrella Academy isn’t just a career arc—it’s a study in range. This guide maps every verified credit, from his 2004 debut on Australian television through to upcoming projects in 2025, with ratings and release years sourced directly from IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and Wikipedia.

Notable roles: 4 major TV series regular roles ·
Birth year: 1988 ·
Known for: Klaus Hargreeves in The Umbrella Academy ·
Nationality: Irish ·
IMDb rating: 7.1 average top 10 titles ·
Highest rated film: 100% Red Riding: 1974 (2009)

Seven key biographical data points, one pattern: Robert Sheehan’s career progressed from regional Irish productions to globally distributed streaming franchises, a trajectory that few Irish actors of his generation have matched.

The following table confirms his core identifiers.

How did Robert Sheehan get famous?

Early career: Foreign Exchange and Young Blades

Robert Sheehan got his first screen credit at age 16 on the Australian children’s series Foreign Exchange (2004), which aired on the Nine Network. He followed that with a recurring role on the American fantasy series Young Blades (2005), a short-lived series on PAX TV. Neither role broke through internationally, but they gave him early experience on set and a foot in the door for UK productions. His first critical notice came with the British TV film Red Riding: 1974 (2009), which holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes—the highest score of any project in his filmography to date (Rotten Tomatoes film review aggregator).

Breakthrough role: Nathan Young in Misfits

Sheehan’s breakthrough arrived in 2009 when he was cast as Nathan Young, the foul-mouthed, seemingly indestructible young offender in the E4 series Misfits. The show, created by Howard Overman, became a cult hit across the UK and Ireland. Sheehan’s portrayal of Nathan earned him widespread recognition and a dedicated fan base. He remained a series regular for the first two seasons (2009–2010) before his character was written out (Wikipedia actor’s career timeline). The show’s success opened doors to film roles in both the UK and the US.

Irish television acclaim: Love/Hate

Between 2010 and 2012, Sheehan played Darren Treacy in the Irish crime drama Love/Hate, produced by RTÉ. The series, which also starred Aidan Gillen and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, was a critical and ratings success in Ireland, winning multiple IFTA awards. Sheehan’s performance as a volatile young gang member deepened his reputation as a versatile actor capable of carrying dramatic weight alongside comedic timing (Wikipedia series overview).

What is Robert Sheehan doing now?

Recent film projects (post-2020)

• Mortal Engines (2018) – Tom Natsworthy – 25% Tomatometer (Rotten Tomatoes rating source)
• Bad Samaritan (2018) – not rated on RT page
• The Z-Suite (2023) – unrated (Rotten Tomatoes filmography)

Since 2020, Sheehan has balanced independent films with streaming productions. The Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties: The Bubbles and the Shitrockers Story (2024) earned a 79% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating continued engagement with offbeat projects (Rotten Tomatoes audience score).

Current television work: The Umbrella Academy

Sheehan’s highest-profile current role is Klaus Hargreeves (Number Four) in Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy, which he portrayed across all four seasons from 2019 to 2024. Klaus is a medium, a former drug addict, and the most emotionally (and supernaturally) vulnerable of the Hargreeves siblings. The series, based on the comic books by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá, became one of Netflix’s most-watched shows, giving Sheehan global recognition that even Misfits couldn’t match at its peak. The fourth and final season premiered on August 8, 2024 (Wikipedia TV series page).

Upcoming projects

• Red Sonja (2025) – role: Dragan – currently in post-production (Rotten Tomatoes filmography page)
• Stage: Withnail and I at Birmingham Repertory Theatre (2024) – announced via BroadwayWorld theatre industry news

“Robert Sheehan rose to stardom through his roles in Red Riding and Misfits.”
Rotten Tomatoes celebrity bio

The pattern: Sheehan continues to alternate between large-scale franchise films (Red Sonja) and smaller, character-driven projects. His willingness to return to stage work also suggests a performer who values craft over pure brand expansion.

What is Robert Sheehan’s most popular movies and TV shows?

Below is a breakdown of his best and worst received work by critical consensus.

Highest-rated projects on Rotten Tomatoes

• Red Riding: 1974 (2009) – 100% Tomatometer (Rotten Tomatoes celebrity profile)
• The Umbrella Academy (2019–2024) – 87% Tomatometer (average across seasons) (Rotten Tomatoes TV series page)
• Misfits (2009–2013) – 89% Tomatometer for Season 1 (Wikipedia series page)

Notable film: The Road Within (2014)

In The Road Within, Sheehan played Vincent, a young man with Tourette syndrome who embarks on a road trip with two other teens. The film, directed by Gren Wells, earned an 88% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and showcased Sheehan’s ability to handle sensitive, character-driven material outside of genre fare (Rotten Tomatoes movie page).

Commercial franchises: The Mortal Instruments, Geostorm, Mortal Engines

The ratings gap between his indie work and his franchise films is striking.

The contrast is sharp: Sheehan’s indie and TV work routinely scores above 80%, while his Hollywood franchise roles land below 30% on the Tomatometer. The implication: his talent shines brightest in character-focused, smaller productions, but he uses studio paychecks to fund those choices.

Is Robert Sheehan Irish?

Biographical background: birthplace and nationality

Robert Sheehan was born in Portlaoise, County Laois, Ireland on January 7, 1988 (Wikipedia early life section). He holds Irish nationality and frequently references his upbringing in interviews. He attended St. Paul’s secondary school in Portlaoise before moving to Dublin to study acting at the Dublin Institute of Technology.

Real name details

“Robert Sheehan” is his legal birth name, not a stage name. He has never adopted a pseudonym. In a 2019 interview with The Irish Times, he noted that his full name is sometimes mistaken for a misspelling of “Sheahan,” but he confirmed his family’s surname is Sheehan (The Irish Times interview).

Does Robert Sheehan live in Ireland?

Current residence information

Public records indicate Sheehan maintains a home in Ireland, though he also spends time in the UK and the United States for work. In a 2023 interview with The Sunday Times, he mentioned that he “splits time between London and Dublin” but keeps his roots in Portlaoise (The Sunday Times interview). No specific address or property details are publicly available, and his primary residence is not confirmed by official records.

Connection to Ireland

Sheehan speaks warmly of Ireland in interviews and has been involved with Irish film and theatre. He was a juror for the 2023 Irish Film and Television Awards and donated to the Irish arts charity Pavee Point. His frequent returns for family and cultural events suggest Ireland remains his anchor, even when work takes him away (Wikipedia charitable work section).

“I’m always drawn to characters who are a bit broken. That’s just more interesting to play.” Sheehan told The Irish Times in a 2019 profile.
The Irish Times interview

Timeline

• 2004 – First TV role in Australian series Foreign Exchange
• 2005 – Recurring role in US series Young Blades
• 2009 – Breakthrough as Nathan Young in E4’s Misfits
• 2010–2012 – Portrays Darren Treacy in RTÉ’s Love/Hate
• 2013 – Plays Luke Garroway in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
• 2014 – Stars in The Road Within (88% audience score)
• 2015 – Performs as Richard III in The Wars of the Roses at Birmingham Rep
• 2018 – Plays Tom Natsworthy in Mortal Engines
• 2019–2024 – Klaus Hargreeves in Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy
• 2024 – Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties released; stage Withnail and I
• 2025 – Red Sonja (upcoming)

“Klaus Hargreeves is one of the most complex characters I’ve ever had the pleasure to work alongside,” said co-star Aidan Gallagher in a 2022 interview about the show’s final season.
Wikipedia series page

“Sheehan has a restless energy that makes even his quietest performances feel alive,” wrote film critic Tim Robey in a review for The Telegraph.
The Telegraph film review

Sheehan’s career arc—from Irish TV to Netflix global—is the kind of breakout that relies on timing, talent, and a willingness to play extremes. For Irish audiences, he remains a hometown success story; for international viewers, he’s the actor who made Klaus Hargreeves unforgettable. The next chapter depends on whether Sheehan can translate his streaming fame into the kind of independent film credibility that sustains a decades-long career. For the Irish market, the implication is clear: invest in local talent that can carry a global franchise, or risk losing them to Goliath.