# Robert Clohessy
**Robert Clohessy** is an American character actor best known for playing Correctional Officer Sean Murphy on the HBO prison drama *Oz* and NYPD Lieutenant Sid Gormley on the CBS police drama *Blue Bloods*.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1958 in Pearl River, New York (some sources say the Bronx, New York, and some list 1957)[1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/clohessy-robert-1958) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0167024/) |
| Signature TV roles | Officer Sean Murphy on *Oz* (HBO, 1999–2003); Sid Gormley on *Blue Bloods* (CBS, 2010–2024, 225 episodes)[1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/clohessy-robert-1958) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0167024/) |
| First regular TV role | Officer Patrick Flaherty on the final season (1986–87) of NBC's *Hill Street Blues*[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/robert-clohessy/) |
| Education | BFA in Acting, State University of New York at Purchase, class of 1981[4](https://www.purchase.edu/live/profiles/3304-robert-clohessy-81) |
| Broadway credits | Juror #6 in the original *Twelve Angry Men* (2004–05); Mike Spears in the revival *Pal Joey* (2008–09)[5](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/robert-clohessy-383311) |
| Award | Shared the 2012 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series with the cast of *Boardwalk Empire*[4](https://www.purchase.edu/live/profiles/3304-robert-clohessy-81) |
| Family | Son of John Clohessy, a New York police officer; father of actors Byron and Myles Clohessy[1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/clohessy-robert-1958) |
## Early life and training
Clohessy was born in 1958 in Pearl River, New York, though some sources give the Bronx, and some list his birth year as 1957[1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/clohessy-robert-1958) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0167024/). His father, John Clohessy, was a police officer in the 41st Precinct of the [South Bronx](https://www.edgepedia.org/south-bronx), and the family relocated to Rockland County in his late teens[1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/clohessy-robert-1958) • [3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/robert-clohessy/). He first acted in a high school production of *Kismet* in Rockland County, and studied at Rockland Community College before earning a BFA in Acting from the [State University of New York at Purchase](https://www.edgepedia.org/state-university-of-new-york-at-purchase) in 1981[1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/clohessy-robert-1958) • [4](https://www.purchase.edu/live/profiles/3304-robert-clohessy-81). Before acting, he was a [Golden Gloves](https://www.edgepedia.org/golden-gloves) boxer, competing in the New York Golden Gloves in 1975[1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/clohessy-robert-1958) • [3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/robert-clohessy/).
## Television career
In 1986 Clohessy moved to Los Angeles and landed a regular role as the relatively green Officer Patrick Flaherty on the final season (1986–87) of NBC's *Hill Street Blues*[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/robert-clohessy/). He followed it with a run of short-lived series parts: the short-tempered young detective opposite [Pat Morita](https://www.edgepedia.org/pat-morita) on ABC's *Ohara* (1987–88), a recurring priest on NBC's *Tattingers* (1988–89), a contractor on *One of the Boys* (NBC, 1989), and the husband on *Laurie Hill*, an ABC comedy canceled within two months of its 1992 debut[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/robert-clohessy/) • [1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/clohessy-robert-1958).
**Oz.** After returning to New York following twelve years in Los Angeles, Clohessy was cast by writer-producer Tom Fontana as Officer Sean Murphy on HBO's prison drama *Oz*, joining in 1999. Fontana drafted him partly for his sports background: as a former heavyweight Golden Gloves contender, Clohessy was cast as the corrections officer who oversees the prison's boxing tournament[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/robert-clohessy/). He played Murphy from 1999 to 2003[1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/clohessy-robert-1958).
**Blue Bloods.** From 2010 to 2024 Clohessy played Sid Gormley, a police lieutenant and member of Commissioner Frank Reagan's inner circle, on CBS's *Blue Bloods*, appearing in 225 episodes[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0167024/). The role made him a cast regular on what one profile calls the show he is best known for[6](https://www.amny.com/news/a-star-is-born-in-chelsea-myles-clohessy/).
Between and around these regular roles he built a long guest-work record across New York-set dramas, including *Law & Order*, *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit*, *Law & Order: Criminal Intent*, *Homicide: Life on the Street*, *NYPD Blue*, *Third Watch*, *The Practice*, *Without a Trace*, *Rescue Me*, *Damages*, *White Collar*, *Life on Mars*, *New Amsterdam*, and *Boardwalk Empire*, where he played Alderman Jim Neary[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/robert-clohessy/) • [7](https://www.metacritic.com/person/robert-clohessy/). With the *Boardwalk Empire* cast he shared the 2012 [Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series](https://www.edgepedia.org/screen-actors-guild-award-for-outstanding-performance-by-an-ensemble-in-a-drama)[4](https://www.purchase.edu/live/profiles/3304-robert-clohessy-81).
## Film and stage work
His film credits include *The Avengers* (2012), in which he played a police sergeant, *The Wolf of Wall Street* (2013), *The Place Beyond the Pines* (2012), *Angels in the Outfield* (1994), *27 Dresses* (2008), and *Across the Universe* (2007), in which he played Jude's long-lost father[4](https://www.purchase.edu/live/profiles/3304-robert-clohessy-81) • [8](https://flicklist.tv/people/robert-clohessy). On Broadway he originated the role of Juror #6 in *Twelve Angry Men* (2004–05) and played Mike Spears in the revival of *Pal Joey* (2008–09)[5](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/robert-clohessy-383311). Off-Broadway and regional stage work includes Mitch in a Hartford Stage production of *A Streetcar Named Desire* (1998 or 1999, sources differ on the year), George F. Walker's *Heaven* at Yale Repertory Theatre in 2000, and *Rounding Third* at the John Houseman Theater in 2003.[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/robert-clohessy/) • [1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/clohessy-robert-1958)
In [Laurie Simmons](https://www.edgepedia.org/laurie-simmons)'s 2016 independent film *My Art*, Clohessy played Frank, a recently widowed landscaper and onetime aspiring actor whom the artist character recruits to reenact classic movie scenes[9](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/my-art-2018).
## Producing and recent work
Clohessy has also worked behind the camera, with executive producer credits on *Fire Island* (2023), *The Redeemer* (2022), and *Paa* (2020), among others[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0167024/). His recent and upcoming acting credits include *It Ends with Us* (2024), *Wait List: A Love-ish Story* (2025), and *[The Whisper Man](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-whisper-man)* (2026)[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0167024/).
His son Myles Clohessy has followed him into acting, and profiles of the younger actor describe Robert as a veteran of motion pictures, television serials, and Broadway[6](https://www.amny.com/news/a-star-is-born-in-chelsea-myles-clohessy/).
## References
1. [Clohessy, Robert 1958–, Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/clohessy-robert-1958)
2. [Robert Clohessy, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0167024/)
3. [Robert Clohessy, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/robert-clohessy/)
4. [Robert Clohessy '81, SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Theatre Arts](https://www.purchase.edu/live/profiles/3304-robert-clohessy-81)
5. [Robert Clohessy, IBDB](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/robert-clohessy-383311)
6. [A star is born in Chelsea: Myles Clohessy, amNewYork](https://www.amny.com/news/a-star-is-born-in-chelsea-myles-clohessy/)
7. [Robert Clohessy, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/robert-clohessy/)
8. [Robert Clohessy, FlickList](https://flicklist.tv/people/robert-clohessy)
9. [My Art movie review, RogerEbert.com](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/my-art-2018)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames C to Cl*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license