Periodically, Sports Information will report on a former Purchase College student-athlete or famous alum, and where the world has taken them these days. Today's "Where Are They Now?" - Actor and No. 1 Panther fan Robert Clohessy, father of soccer standout, Myles Clohessy. Purchase, NY
(Oct. 9, 2014) - Like father, like son.
Alum Robert Clohessy has enjoyed a successful career as an actor - one that started right here Purchase College in the 1970s - and a family tradition that is continuing today for his son, Myles. The junior, who transferred to Purchase last year, is following in his father's acting footsteps, while also finding time to star on the soccer pitch.
Not only do the two share a love of theater and film, but the father-son duo also loves sports, and it's no surprise to see the elder Clohessy in the stands on a regular basis, cheering on the Panthers and his standout son, a top-notch forward on a club that reached the final four of the Skyline a year ago and is currently undefeated in league play at 2-0-1.
Robert Clohessy, a booster and supported for the program, is delighted to have Myles on track here at Purchase, honing and shaping his bright future in the arts at a place that's dear to him, while also flashing similar athleticism. Robert, who's 6-foot-2, boxed in the 1975 Golden Gloves and is a big New York Mets fan.
Today, he roots hardest for the Panthers, who he was happy to see were selected first in the preseason conference poll to win it all.
"I love that Myles is going to Purchase and that he really likes it!," the proud father said. "It's the best thing that happened to me and I hope it is for him too.
"I love watching Myles and the team play," he added. "Myles is my best buddy, so I take it too personally sometimes, but hey, life is short, Go Panthers!"
Clohessy said he comes to all the games and joked that the Purchase "BFA program was the only school to accept me, to be honest and thank goodness, I had a great acting teacher: Walt Witcover! I owe all my good fortune to him. I was very lucky to get into the BFA program and had a lifelong friendship and mentorship with Walt, who recently passed away."
The 56-year-old actor, known for his roles on HBO's
Boardwalk Empire and
OZ, and in the CBS drama,
Blue Bloods, has been in the business since landing recurring roles in daytime dramas,
All My Children 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.
He has gone on to join a long list of acting stars that started their careers as undergrads at Purchase, including Edie Falco, Kirk Acevedo, Seth Gilliam, Stanley Tucciand Wesley Snipes. And like those other famous alum, the actor and producer has shown his share of range, finding work on Broadway, television and in the movies, where he is known for recent roles in
The Avengers (2012) and
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013).
Residing in Connecticut these days with his wife and two sons, Robert is a Bronx native that has long juggled his love of sports and the arts. He played varsity football at Pearl River High School and starred in
Guys and Dolls.
Those trends continued shortly after at Purchase, where he played intramural football and got involved in plenty of theater productions. "I played intramural football and we were champs every year!, You don't have to tell anybody there were only three teams," he joked.
Although he never played soccer like his son Myles, Clohessy said he "grew up in a boxing gym in the Bronx," and had 50 amateur fights between the Golden Gloves, Junior Olympics and Nationals.
Today, the Clohessys make new memories at Purchase as a family, but Robert, also known as Bobby Clo to his closest friends, said his fondest memory from his acting days at the school was his final production at the Performing Arts Center. "It was an old German play called, Leonce and Lena, and it was an incredible experience and beautiful production."
Myles said he's extremely proud that athletics at Purchase, in particular the soccer turf field - "The Home of the Panthers" - has become as memorable for his father as the PAC.
"It's always cool seeing people come up to my dad and say, 'hey you were really good last night on the show,' or random people that recognize him, even if it was a small part and its always cool seeing him on TV and having my friends be able to watch it with me.
"My decision to come to purchase had a good amount to do with the fact that my dad and many other successful actors have come out of Purchase. The acting program here is known as one of the best in the country.
"I also got along with
head men's soccer coach James Bruno immediately and knew based off what he said and my dad's experiences here that I would have a great time."
The younger Clohessy said that Purchase has lived up to the billing since his arrival.
"Purchase has been amazing! I've made great friends, especially on the soccer team here. Being on the soccer team and being a part of this up-and-coming successful athletic program is really a privilegeand I haven't had this much fun playing competitive soccer in a long time.
"As far as academically, there's nothing I'd rather do than what I'm doing now ... and that's basically playing pretend all day! Not bad!"
However, there's no pretending how close the Clohessys are as a unit, whether on stage, or at the field.
"I'm so lucky to have a dad and a mom that come to LITERALLY every single game," Myles said. "It's not an easy drive to the games from Connecticut, even to the home games, so it always means a lot when I see them there, and I hope this year I make them and our school proud by winning the conference."
Coach Bruno said Myles has already made his family and the Purchase community proud, just by showing that he, like his father, could juggle success in sports, academics and the arts - something that Purchase is becoming known for these days.
"I love having Myles on my team and I love the support that his mom and dad have shown to our program," Bruno said. "It's nice to have a program where the parents are active in the careers of our players.
"Robert and Catherineare those fans," he added. "I think it's neat that he's a graduate of the program and that his son is following in his successful footsteps."