| Stephen Rea | |
| Birth Date: | 31 October 1942 |
| Birth Place: | Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Occupation: | Actor |
| Years Active: | 1962–present |
| Children: | 2 |
Stephen Rea (; born 31 October 1942)[1] is an Irish actor of stage and screen.[2] Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, he began his career as a member of Dublin's Focus Theatre, and came to the attention of film audiences as one of the close collaborators of director Neil Jordan. He is an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award and Tony Award nominee, a two-time BAFTA Award winner, and a three-time Irish Film and Television (IFTA) Award winner.
Rea was nominated for an Oscar and a BAFTA Award for his performance in Jordan's thriller The Crying Game (1992). He also starred in Jordan's films Interview with the Vampire (1994), Michael Collins (1996), The End of the Affair (1999), Breakfast on Pluto (2005), and Greta (2018).
He played starring roles in the Hugo Blick TV series The Shadow Line and The Honourable Woman, for which he won a BAFTA. As a stage actor, he is known for his performances at The Gate and Abbey Theatres in Dublin, and the Royal Court Theatre in London. He is a co-founder of the Field Day Theatre Company with Brian Friel.
In 2020, The Irish Times ranked Rea the 13th greatest Irish film actor of all time.[3]
Rea was born in Belfast. His father was a bus driver and his mother a housewife.[4] His family was Protestant but sympathetic to Irish nationalism.[5] He studied English at the Queen's University Belfast and drama at the Abbey Theatre School in Dublin.[4]
In the late 1970s, he acted in the Focus Company in Dublin with Gabriel Byrne and Colm Meaney.
After appearing on the stage and in television and film for many years in Ireland and England, Rea came to international attention when he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for the film The Crying Game. He is a frequent collaborator with Irish film-maker Neil Jordan. Rea has long been associated with some of the most important writers in Ireland. His association with playwright Stewart Parker, for example, began when they were students together at the Queen's University Belfast.
Rea helped establish the Field Day Theatre Company in 1980 with Tom Paulin, Brian Friel, Seamus Heaney and Seamus Deane. In recognition for his contribution to theatre and performing arts, Rea was given honorary degrees from both the Queen's University Belfast[6] and the Ulster University[7] in 2004.
Rea's friendship with American playwright and actor Sam Shepard dates back to the early 1970s, and he starred in Shepard's directorial début of his play Geography of a Horse Dreamer at the Royal Court Theatre in 1974. In 2007, Rea began a successful and acclaimed relationship with both the Abbey Theatre and Sam Shepard, appearing in Kicking a Dead Horse (2007) and Ages of the Moon (2009), both penned by Shepard and also both transferred to New York.[8] Rea returned to the Abbey in 2009 to appear in the world première of Sebastian Barry's Tales of Ballycumber.[9]
Rea was hired to speak the words of Gerry Adams when Sinn Féin was under a 1988–94 broadcasting ban.[10]
In 2011, Rea featured in the BBC crime drama The Shadow Line, playing antagonist Gatehouse.
In April 2012, Rea read James Joyce's short story The Dead on RTÉ Radio 1.[11] He also narrated for the BBC Radio 4 production of Ulysses for Bloomsday, 16 June 2012.
Rea starred in Enda Walsh's 2014 play Ballyturk and portrayed Jordan in Out of the Dark,[12] in which he co-stars alongside Julia Stiles, Scott Speedman and Alejandro Furth.[13] [14]
In 2023, Rea appeared as Frank, husband to Eileen (played by Kathy Bates) in the film The Miracle Club.
Rea was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for The Crying Game (1992). He won a BAFTA Award for his role in The Honourable Woman.[15]
In 2020, The Irish Times ranked Rea the 13th greatest Irish film actor of all time.[16]
, Rea was an Ambassador for UNICEF Ireland.[17]
From 1983 to 2003 Rea was married to Dolours Price, a former Provisional Irish Republican Army bomber and hunger striker who later became a critic of Sinn Féin.[18] [19] They have two sons.[20] They divorced in 2003.[21] [22]
Before the marriage, Price attended a performance of Rea's at the Court Theatre in London in 1973, the night before she participated in a car bombing which injured 200 people.[23]
, Rea lives in County Donegal.[24]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Cry of the Banshee | Villager | ||
| 1982 | Angel | Danny | ||
| 1984 | The Company of Wolves | Young Groom | ||
| 1985 | Timothy Broom | |||
| 1985 | Loose Connections | Harry | ||
| 1990 | Life Is Sweet | Patsy | ||
| 1992 | Fergus | |||
| 1993 | Bad Behaviour | Gerry McAllister | ||
| 1994 | Angie | Noel | ||
| 1994 | Princess Caraboo | Gutch | ||
| 1994 | Interview with the Vampire | Santiago | ||
| 1994 | Prêt-à-Porter | Milo O'Brannigan | ||
| 1995 | Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea | Nikos | ||
| 1995 | All Men Are Mortal | Fosca | ||
| 1996 | Michael Collins | Ned Broy | ||
| 1996 | Trojan Eddie | Eddie "Trojan Eddie" | ||
| 1996 | The Last of the High Kings | Cab Driver | ||
| 1997 | Fever Pitch | Ray | ||
| 1997 | Benny Brady | |||
| 1997 | Sean Dowd | |||
| 1997 | Double Tap | Cypher | ||
| 1997 | Hacks | Brian | ||
| 1998 | This Is My Father | Mission Priest | Cameo | |
| 1998 | Still Crazy | Tony Costello | ||
| 1999 | In Dreams | Dr. Silverman | ||
| 1999 | Guinevere | Connie Fitzpatrick | ||
| 1999 | I Could Read the Sky | P.J. Doran | ||
| 1999 | Brian | |||
| 1999 | Henry Miles | |||
| 2000 | The King's Wake | King Connor Mac Neasa | (Voice) Short film | |
| 2001 | Cardinal Richelieu | |||
| 2001 | On the Edge | Dr. Figure | ||
| 2002 | FeardotCom | Alistair Pratt | ||
| 2002 | Evelyn | Michael Beattie | ||
| 2003 | Bloom | Leopold Bloom | ||
| 2004 | Dr. Newman | |||
| 2004 | The Halo Effect | "Fatso" | ||
| 2004 | McCaran | |||
| 2004 | Fluent Dysphasia | "Murph" | Short film | |
| 2004 | Proud | Barney Garvey | ||
| 2004 | Control | Dr. Arlo Penner | ||
| 2005 | Breakfast on Pluto | Bertie Vaughan | ||
| 2005 | River Queen | Francis | ||
| 2005 | Tara Road | Colm Maguire | ||
| 2006 | V for Vendetta | Chief Inspector Eric Finch | ||
| 2006 | Sisters | Dr. Philip Lacan | ||
| 2006 | Sixty Six | Dr. Barrie | ||
| 2007 | Until Death | Gabriel Callaghan | ||
| 2007 | Father Michael Costigan | |||
| 2007 | Stuck | Thomas Bardo | ||
| 2008 | Tyler | |||
| 2008 | Kisses | "Down Under" Dylan | Uncredited cameo | |
| 2009 | Spy(ies) | M. Palmer | ||
| 2009 | Child of the Dead End | Patrick MacGill | ||
| 2009 | Nothing Personal | Martin | ||
| 2009 | Jameson Anawalt | |||
| 2009 | Ondine | Priest | ||
| 2011 | Blackthorn | MacKinley | ||
| 2011 | Stella Days | Brendan McSweeney | ||
| 2012 | Dr. Jacob Lane | |||
| 2012 | Doc | Direct-to-DVD | ||
| 2013 | Tasting Menu | Walter | ||
| 2014 | Asylum | McGahey | ||
| 2014 | Styria | Dr. Hill | ||
| 2014 | Out of the Dark | Jordan | ||
| 2015 | Ruby Strangelove Young Witch | Danforth | ||
| 2015 | Danforth | |||
| 2018 | Black '47 | Conneely | ||
| 2018 | Greta | Brian Cody | ||
| 2018 | Unquiet Graves | Narrator | Documentary about the Troubles | |
| 2021 | Nightride | Joe | Voice | |
| 2023 | The Miracle Club | Frank Dunne |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Crossroads | Pepe Costa | ||
| 1967 | Angel Pavement | Second Mate | Episode: "They Arrive" | |
| 1967 | Sanctuary | Stephen Moriarty | Episode: "The Voice of His Calling" | |
| 1969 | Z-Cars | Kenny | Episode: "Snout: Part 2" | |
| 1970 | Philip Conner | Episode: "Trust a Woman" | ||
| 1971 | Omnibus | Hubert Page | Episode: "Hail and Farewell-George Moore" | |
| 1972 | The Moonstone | Major Frayne | Episode: "1.1" | |
| 1974 | Thriller | Arden Buckley | Episode: "K is for Killing" (US Title: "Color Him Dead") | |
| 1974–1979 | Play for Today | Peter / Chas / Shay | 3 episodes | |
| 1975–1976 | I Didn't Know You Cared | Carter Brandon | 13 episodes - (series 1 & 2 only; not in series 3 & 4) | |
| 1977 | BBC2 Play of the Week | Hollar | Episode: "Professional Foul" | |
| 1978 | Play of the Month | Constantin | Episode: "The Seagull" | |
| 1978 | Pellin | Episode: "In the Public Interest" | ||
| 1978 | Thank You, Comrades | Mayakovsky | TV film | |
| 1980 | Caleb Williams | Tyrell | Episode: "1.1" | |
| 1982 | Joyce in June | Stanislaus Joyce / McIntosh | TV film | |
| 1984 | Minder | Roddy Allan | Episode: "Windows" | |
| 1984 | Four Days in July | Dixie | TV film | |
| 1986 | Boon | Frank Warren | Episode: "Fools Rush In" | |
| 1986 | Screen Two | Frankie | Episode: "Shergar" | |
| 1987 | Lost Belongings | Lenny | 2 episodes | |
| 1987 | Scout | Marshall | TV film | |
| 1989 | 4 Play | Paul | Segment: "Not As Bad as They Seem" | |
| 1989 | Endgame | Clov | TV film | |
| 1990 | Not with a Bang | Colin Garrity | 7 episodes | |
| 1993 | Saturday Night Live | Fergus | (Uncredited) Episode: "Miranda Richardson/Soul Asylum" | |
| 1993–1995 | Performance | Ejlert Lovborg / Seamus Shields | 2 episodes | |
| 1995 | Citizen X | Lieutenant Viktor Burakov | TV film | |
| 1996 | Crime of the Century | Bruno Hauptmann | TV film | |
| 2001 | Dr. Roger St. Roctor | Episode: "Not What the Doctor Ordered" | ||
| 2001 | Snow in August | Rabbi Judah Hirsch | TV film | |
| 2001 | Armadillo | Hogg | 3 episodes | |
| 2001–2002 | Horrible Histories | Narrator (voice, UK dub) | 26 episodes | |
| 2002 | Copenhagen | Niels Bohr | TV film | |
| 2007 | Imeacht Na N'Iarlaí | Aodh Ó Néill, Tiarna Thir Eoghain | Episode: "1" | |
| 2008 | 10 Days to War | Tim Cross | Episode: "These Things Are Always Chaos" | |
| 2009 | Father & Son | Augustine Flynn | 4 episodes | |
| 2009 | Callum "Cal" Donovan | Episode: "Solitary" | ||
| 2009 | Heidi 4 Paws | The Doctor (voice) | TV film | |
| 2010 | Single-Handed | Sean Doyle | Episodes: "The Lost Boys: Parts 1 & 2" | |
| 2011 | Roadkill | Seamus | TV film | |
| 2011 | Gatehouse | 6 episodes | ||
| 2013 | Utopia | Conran Letts | 5 episodes | |
| 2014 | Sir Hugh Hayden-Hoyle | 8 episodes | ||
| 2015–2016 | Dickensian | Inspector Bucket | 16 episodes | |
| 2016 | War & Peace | Prince Vassily Kuragin | 5 episodes | |
| 2016 | Fir Bolg | Spencer | Episode: "Nochtadh" | |
| 2018 | Counterpart | Alexander Pope | 7 episodes | |
| 2018 | Thanksgiving | Melchior | 3 episodes | |
| 2020 | The Stranger | Martin Killane | 8 episodes | |
| 2020 | Flesh and Blood | Mark | 4 episodes | |
| 2022 | The English | Sheriff Robert Marshall | 6 episodes | |
| TBA | Prime Target | Upcoming miniseries |
| Year | Title | Playwright | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Shadow of a Gunman | Sean O'Casey | The Mermaid Theatre, London |
| 1969 | Captain Oates' Left Sock | John Antrobus | Royal Court Theatre, London |
| 1971 | Crete and Sargent Pepper | John Antrobus | |
| 1973 | The Freedom of the City | Brian Friel | |
| 1973 | The Duchess of Malfi | John Webster | , London |
| 1973 | Sargent Musgraves | John Arden | The Gate, Dublin |
| 1973 | The White Devil | John Webster | Nottingham Playhouse |
| 1973 | Drums in the Night | Bertold Brecht | Hampstead Theatre, London |
| 1974 | Geography of a Horse Dreamer | Sam Shepard | Royal Court Theatre, London |
| 1974 | Comedians | Trevor Griffiths | Nottingham Playhouse |
| 1980 | Translations | Brian Friel | Field Day Theatre Company |
| 1981 | Three Sisters | Anton Chekhov adapt. Brian Friel | |
| 1982 | The Communication Cord | Brian Friel | |
| 1984 | High Time | Derek Mahon | |
| 1984 | The Riot Act | Tom Paulin | |
| 1986 | Double Cross | Thomas Kilroy | |
| 1987 | Pentecost | Stewart Parker | |
| 1989 | Saint Oscar | Terry Eagleton | |
| 2014 | Ballyturk | Enda Walsh | Galway International Arts Festival |
| 2014 | A Particle of Dread | Sam Shepard | Field Day Theatre Company |
| 2016 | Cyprus Avenue | David Ireland | Royal Court Theatre, London |
| 2020 | The Visiting Hour | Frank McGuinness | The Gate Theatre, Dublin |