| Birth Date: | June 10, 1957 |
| Birth Place: | New York City, U.S. |
| Yearsactive: | 1985–present |
| Spouse: | Catherine Erhardt |
| Children: | 2 |
| Occupation: | Actor |
Robert Clohessy (born June 10, 1957) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Correctional Officer Sean Murphy on the HBO prison drama Oz from seasons 3–6, in addition to playing Officer Patrick Flaherty on the NBC police procedural Hill Street Blues, Warden Boss James Neary on the HBO crime drama Boardwalk Empire for the first two seasons and Lieutenant Sid Gormley on the CBS police drama Blue Bloods.
Clohessy was born in the Bronx, New York, the son of John Clohessy, a police officer.[1] He fought in the 1975 Golden Gloves in Madison Square Garden. He graduated from Pearl River High School in Pearl River, New York, and from SUNY Purchase where he studied under Walt Witcover.[2]
Clohessy has had recurring roles in daytime dramas All My Children, Boy Meets World, and Guiding Light. In primetime, he has become known for his multiple regular turns as police officers and other law enforcement officials, creating parallels between his acting career and upbringing by his policeman father. The first of such roles was in the seventh and final season of Hill Street Blues, as Officer Patrick Flaherty. The following season, Clohessy was cast as the new co-star of Pat Morita on the ABC detective series Ohara, playing Lt. George Shaver. In 1995, he appeared in the episode "Hell's Angel" of the situation comedy Double Rush.[3]
He later joined the cast of the HBO prison drama Oz as Correctional Officer Sean Murphy. However, in between these roles, Clohessy had a supporting role as Thomas Smaraldo on NBC's comedy/drama Tattingers (1988–89) and soon after appeared in a starring role on NBC's short-lived comedy One of the Boys (1989). Clohessy co-starred on the Neal Marlens/Carol Black ABC sitcom Laurie Hill in 1992, playing a stay-at-home freelance writer. In 2008, Clohessy had a regular role in the short-lived Fox show New Amsterdam. He won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble in the HBO series Boardwalk Empire.
In feature films, Clohessy played a supporting role in Across the Universe, playing the part of Jude's long-lost father. He played Jack Parker in The Crimson Mask. His largest big budget film role was opposite Ryan Gosling in The Place Beyond the Pines. Onstage, he played Mike in the Broadway Roundabout Theatre Company revival of Pal Joey, from November 2008 through February 2009. He played the bartender in 27 Dresses (2008). From 2010 to the present (2024), he has had a supporting role as Sid Gormley, on the police drama Blue Bloods. In January 2012, he played Jack Healy in Season 1/Episode 13 in Unforgettable. In 2012, he portrayed Sergeant Silva in the film The Avengers.
| 1987 | The Believers | Diner Detective | ||
| 1989 | Sidewalk Stories | Alley Tough #1 | ||
| 1993 | Stone Soup | Stephen | ||
| 1994 | Angels in the Outfield | Frank Gates | ||
| 2005 | The Interpreter | FBI Agent King | ||
| The Signs of the Cross | Vic | |||
| 2006 | 16 Blocks | Cannova | ||
| A Merry Little Christmas | Mayor | |||
| 2007 | Across the Universe | Wesley 'Wes' Huber | ||
| One Night | Doug | |||
| Mattie Fresno and the Holoflux Universe | Det. Journell | |||
| 2008 | 27 Dresses | Dive Bartender | ||
| The Drum Beats Twice | Victor Pepperdine | |||
| Calling It Quits | Jake | |||
| Priceless | Jerry | |||
| 2009 | The Crimson Mask | Jack Parker | ||
| 2010 | An Affirmative Act | Lance Lane | ||
| All Good Things | Building Superintendent | |||
| 2011 | Arthur | Veteran Cop | ||
| Fake | Patrick White | |||
| My Last Day Without You | Scully | |||
| Tower Heist | Parade Cop | |||
| 2012 | Man on a Ledge | Prison Guard | ||
| The Avengers | Sergeant Silva | |||
| The Night Never Sleeps | Detective Jablonsky | |||
| The Place Beyond the Pines | Chief Weirzbowski | |||
| Desperate Endeavors | Mark | |||
| Broadway's Finest | Buckley | |||
| 2013 | Send No Flowers | Mickey O'Mara | ||
| 2013 | The Immigrant | Immigration Official | ||
| The Wolf of Wall Street | Nolan Drager | |||
| 2014 | Charlie Mantle | Bartender | ||
| A Most Violent Year | Mr. Rose | |||
| A Strong Collected Spirit | Lolly Kent | |||
| 2015 | Living with the Dead: A Love Story | John McLean | ||
| Disco! | Cowboy Kevin | |||
| And It Was Good | Driver | |||
| 2016 | Deputy Warden Hamlett | |||
| To Whom It May Concern | Jack | |||
| Sugar! | Ben | |||
| Confidence Game | Anthony | |||
| My Art | Frank | |||
| The Drowning | Captain Miller | |||
| 2017 | Good Time | NYPD Police Officer | ||
| The Devil's Restaurant | Chef Dominick | |||
| 2018 | Honor Amongst Men | John Halmo | ||
| The Brawler | Anthony Mango | |||
| 2020 | Equal Standard | Internal Affairs Detective Rullan | ||
| A Beautiful Distraction | Morgan | |||
| Chemical Hearts | Martin Sawyer | |||
| Chronicle of a Serial Killer | Judge Weber | |||
| 2021 | Last Call | Aiden | ||
| The Last Disco | Kevin Sansone | |||
| 2022 | Fire Island | Detective Jack |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986–1987 | Hill Street Blues | Patrick Flaherty | 20 episodes | |
| 1987 | St. Elsewhere | Policeman | Episode: "Last Dance at the Wrecker's Ball" | |
| 1987–1988 | Ohara | Lt. George Shaver | 19 episodes | |
| 1988–1989 | Tattingers | Father Thomas Smaraldo | 3 episodes | |
| 1989 | One of the Boys | Mike Lukowski | 6 episodes | |
| Midnight Caller | Phil Gaff | Episode: "Tarnished Shield" | ||
| 1989–1991 | Jake and the Fatman | Doug McEwen / Victor Potemkin | 3 episodes | |
| 1990 | The Young Riders | Roy | Episode: "Hard Time" | |
| Father Dowling Mysteries | Capt. Hayden | Episode: "The Sanctuary Mystery" | ||
| Monsters | Stanley | Episode: "One Wolf's Family" | ||
| Matlock | Harlan Fondy | Episode: "The Narc" | ||
| 1991 | Doogie Howser, M.D. | Jeff Moore | Episode: "A Life in Progress" | |
| Roseanne | Christian / Al | Episode: "Communicable Theater" | ||
| Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Fashion | Tony Loomis | Television film | ||
| Reasonable Doubts | Johnny Ray Simpson | Episode: "Making Dirt Sick" | ||
| 1992 | In the Shadow of a Killer | Sean Doyle | TV movie | |
| Devlin | Kevin McQuaid | |||
| Laurie Hill | Jeff Hill | 10 episodes | ||
| 1994 | Dan Broyles | TV movie | ||
| The Good Life | Joe | Episode: "John's New Assistant" | ||
| Couples | Ray | TV movie | ||
| John Dillinger | Episode: "That Old Gang of Mine" | |||
| 1994, 1996 | Merrick's Bodyguard / Reggie | 2 episodes | ||
| 1995 | Detective Douglas Jones | Episode: "Partners" | ||
| Love & War | Sam Biondi | Episode: "Mob Story" | ||
| All-American Girl | Average Tony | Episode: "Pulp Sitcom" | ||
| Double Rush | Fr. Joe Sardella | Episode: "Hell's Angel" | ||
| The Great Mom Swap | Frank Balfour | TV movie | ||
| NYPD Blue | Frank Wuthrich | Episode: "Torah! Torah | Torah!" | |
| High Society | Mitchell Brumberg | Episode: "Sleeping with the Enemy" | ||
| My Wildest Dreams | Mel McGinnis | Episode: "Something's Gotta Give (Pilot)" | ||
| 1996 | Murder, She Wrote | Max Daniels | Episode: "Death Goes Double Platinum" | |
| Chicago Hope | Robert Malzone | 2 episodes | ||
| 1997 | Married to a Stranger | David Potter | Television film | |
| The Practice | Detective Gagen | Episode: "Hide and Seek" | ||
| 1998 | Boy Meets World | Matt Frazier | Episode: "Eric Hollywood" | |
| Remember WENN | Policeman | Episode: "The Follies of WENN" | ||
| 1998–2009 | Law & Order | Various roles | 4 episodes | |
| 1999 | A Touch of Hope | Larry | TV movie | |
| 1999–2003 | Oz | Officer Sean Murphy | 38 episodes | |
| 2000 | Guiding Light | Gil | 6 episodes | |
| Third Watch | Danny Gamble | Episode: "Jimmy's Mountain" | ||
| 2000–2013 | Leo Barth / Joel Parven / Vinnie | 4 episodes | ||
| 2001 | 100 Centre Street | Mike Byrne | Episode: "And Justice for Some" | |
| 2002 & 2006 | Roger Lemoyne / Phil LeGrand | 2 episodes | ||
| 2003 | All My Children | Doug Lewis | Episode #1.8526 | |
| Hack | Jack Tully | Episode: "Third Strike" | ||
| Without a Trace | David Brummond | Episode: "Clare de Lune" | ||
| 2004 | Rescue Me | Steven | Episode: "Butterfly" | |
| 2006 | The Book of Daniel | Billy | 2 episodes | |
| Conviction | Coach Hankins | Episode: "Denial" | ||
| Six Degrees | Scott Faubel | Episode: "Pilot" | ||
| 2006–2007 | Kidnapped | The Operator | 9 episodes | |
| 2007 | The Black Donnellys | Agent Hicks | Episode: "When the Door Opens" | |
| Damages | Lawrence Pedroia | Episode: "We Are Not Animals" | ||
| 2008 | New Amsterdam | Detective Santori | 6 episodes | |
| 2009 | Life on Mars | Frank Wyatt | Episode: "Let All the Children Boogie" | |
| The Unusuals | Mike Boorland | Episode: "Boorland Day" | ||
| 2010 | White Collar | Roy | Episode: "Unfinished Business" | |
| 2010–2011 | Boardwalk Empire | Alderman Jim Neary | 17 episodes | |
| 2010–present | Blue Bloods | Sid Gormley | ||
| 2012 | Unforgettable | Jack Healy | Episode: "Brotherhood" | |
| 2012–2013 | Curse of the Crimson Mask | Jack Parker | 3 episodes | |
| 2014 | The Blacklist | William Munson | Episode: "The Judge (No. 57)" | |
| 2015 | Cold Bloods | Captain | 2 episodes |