‘Oh my god I got so scared,’ one worried fan wrote (Picture: Courtesy of Netflix)
A star of one of Netflix’s biggest TV hits left his fans feeling ‘so scared’ after sharing a picture of a gravestone revealing his ‘death date’.
In a few weeks’ time, the fourth and final season of The Umbrella Academy is set to be released on the streaming platform.
Following the parallel universe-traipsing escapades of season 3, viewers can’t wait to be reunited with the characters, particularly fan-favourite Klaus Hargreeves (Robert Sheehan).
Klaus – who is beloved for his eccentric and fun-loving personality – has the power to communicate with the dead, and can even physically manifest the deceased for a temporary amount of time.
On Monday July 1, Robert, 36, shared a cryptic post on Instagram which had his followers in a state of panic, as the picture featured a gravestone with an engraving that read: ‘Playing dead, Robert Sheehan, 7 January 1988 – 5 September 2024.’
While at first glance, some who came across the image jumped to the worst possible conclusion, others quickly realised they didn’t have anything to worry about… as well as what the post actually meant.
Fan have loved watching Klaus embrace his powers, after previously being scared of the dead (Picture: Courtesy of Netflix)
‘Oh my god I got so scared,’ Sab wrote, while Highschool._sweethearts commented: ‘Don’t ever do that again please and ty.’
‘The way my heart stopped for a second,’ Effy shared, as Christian admitted that they ‘stared at this for 20 seconds’ to process what they’d seen.
Markus added: ‘Omg I got to scared for a minute,’ while an Instagram account called The Sheehab admitted that they found the actor’s choice of words ‘worrying’.
However, it was quickly spotted that the ‘death date’ written on the gravestone – 5 September 2024 – is the release date for Robert’s next book, which just so happens to be called Playing Dead.
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The title of the book has strong links to Robert’s past roles, considering his characters often have some sort of link to death.
In addition to Klaus and his ability to talk to the dead, his character Nathan Young from Misfits had the power of immortality.
Robert also starred as Simon in the 2013 film The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, who becomes immortal in the books on which the movie was based.
One Instagram user called FC2C remarked: ‘I don’t think Sheehan has played a character unrelated to death 🤣 Klaus, Nathan, Simon (vampire), there was an obscure one where I think he could see ghosts, and now this.’
Tulsiistheway chimed in to add: ‘If you’ve been a longtime Robert Sheehan fan, you’ll know that some of his most prominent roles are the ones where he literally plays an immortal character or a character that somehow cheats death or is dead in some way.’
Klaus has come a long way since season one (Picture: Christos Kalohoridis/Netflix)
While some might have assumed that his book Playing Dead would be about his past acting roles, it’s actually centred on the performer’s passion for meditation.
‘Meditation is at the heart of Robert’s route to spiritual awakening. In Playing Dead he reveals the turbulence in his life that led him to seek calm and tranquility within,’ the synopsis reads.
‘A beautiful, meandering memoir reflecting a rich tapestry of experience, uncovering how spirituality has become his anchor in the constant moving tide. Combining storytelling with letters, poetry, childhood memories and thoughtful musings on fame.’
It concludes: ‘In a world where our attention is constantly up for grabs, Playing Dead shows how we can give our souls the deep rest we crave.’
The Umbrella Academy returns for its fourth and final season on Thursday August 8.
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