Stephen Rea

Stephen Rea ( ; born 31 October 1946) is an Irish actor. Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, he began his career as a member of Dublin's Focus Theatre, and played many roles on the stage and on Irish television. He came to the attention of international film audiences in Irish filmmaker Neil Jordan's 1992 film The Crying Game, and subsequently starred in many more of Jordan's films, including Interview with the Vampire, Michael Collins (1996), Breakfast on Pluto (2005), and Greta (2018). He also played a starring role in the Hugo Blick 2011 TV series The Shadow Line.

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.

He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for The Crying Game (1992), and won a BAFTA Award for his role in The Honourable Woman in 2015. In 2020, The Irish Times ranked Rea the 13th greatest Irish film actor of all time.

Early life and education Stephen Rea was born on 31 October 1946 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. His family was Protestant but sympathetic to Irish nationalism. Rea has described his upbringing as nonreligious.

He studied English at the Queen's University Belfast and drama at the Abbey Theatre School in Dublin. In the late 1970s, he acted in the Focus Company in Dublin with Gabriel Byrne and Colm Meaney.

Rea helped establish the Field Day Theatre Company in 1980 with Tom Paulin, Brian Friel, Seamus Heaney, and Seamus Deane.

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. Rea returned to the Abbey in 2009 to appear in the world première of Sebastian Barry's Tales of Ballycumber.

Rea starred in Enda Walsh's 2014 play Ballyturk and portrayed Jordan in Out of the Dark, in which he co-stars alongside Julia Stiles, Scott Speedman and Alejandro Furth.

Screen

Rea came to international attention when he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for Irish film-maker Neil Jordan's film The Crying Game in 1992. He is a frequent collaborator with Jordan, starring in his other films Interview with the Vampire (1994), Michael Collins (1996), The End of the Affair (1999), Breakfast on Pluto (2005), and Greta (2018).

In 2011, Rea featured in the BBC crime drama The Shadow Line, playing antagonist Gatehouse.

In 2023, Rea appeared as Frank, husband to Eileen (played by Kathy Bates), in the film The Miracle Club.

Voice Rea was hired to speak the words of Gerry Adams when Sinn Féin was under a broadcasting ban from 1988 to 1994. In April 2012, Rea read James Joyce's short story "The Dead" on RTÉ Radio 1. He also narrated for the BBC Radio 4 production of Ulysses for Bloomsday, 16 June 2012.

Recognition and awards Rea is an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Tony Award nominee, a BAFTA Award winner, and a three-time Irish Film and Television (IFTA) Award winner. He was nominated for a BAFTA Award and for the Academy Award for Best Actor for The Crying Game (1992).

In 2004, in recognition for his contribution to theatre and performing arts, Rea was given honorary degrees from both the Queen's University Belfast

In 2020, The Irish Times ranked Rea the 13th greatest Irish film actor of all time.

Personal life From 1983 until their divorce in 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. They had two sons.

Rea had already met Price in the 1960s but ten years before their marriage, Price attended a performance by Rea in The Freedom of the City at the Court Theatre in London in 1973, the night before she took part in a car bombing that injured 200 people.

, Rea was an Ambassador for UNICEF Ireland.

, Rea lives in County Donegal.

Acting credits Film

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 1995 Citizen X Lt. Viktor Burakov 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 subject 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 subject 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 Underworld: Awakening Dr. Jacob Lane 2012 Werewolf: The Beast Among Us 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

Television 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 Softly, Softly: Task Force 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 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 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 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 2025 Prime TargetProfessor James Alderman 5 episodes

Theatre 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 7:84 Theatre Company, 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