Stephen Rea
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| Stephen Rea | |
| Born | Graham Rea 31 October 1946 Belfast, Northern Ireland |
|---|---|
| Occupation | actor |
| Spouse(s) | Dolours Price (1983-2003) |
Stephen Rea (born Graham Rea; 31 October 1946) is an Irish actor, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his lead performance as Fergus in the 1992 film The Crying Game.
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[edit] Early life
Rea was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the son of a bus driver.[1] One of four children in a working-class Presbyterian family,[2][3] he attended Belfast High School and the Queen's University of Belfast, taking a degree in English.
[edit] Career
Rea trained 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. During the broadcasting ban on Sinn Féin imposed by Margaret Thatcher's government, in order to cut the 'oxygen of publicity', it was interpreted that Sinn Féin members could not be heard making statements expressing the views of Sinn Féin, so Rea was one of many actors contacted to provide an actor's voice to get around that problem. After appearing on the stage and in television and film for many years in Ireland and Britain, 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 (1941-1988) for example, began when they were students together at the Queen's University of 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 of Belfast[4] and the University of Ulster[5] in 2004.
[edit] Personal life
Rea was married to former Provisional Irish Republican Army member and hunger striker, Dolours Price from 1983 to 2003. They have three children.
Stephen Rea is an Ambassasdor for UNICEF Ireland.
[edit] Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Cry of the Banshee | Villager | |
| 1978 | On a Paving Stone Mounted | ||
| 1982 | Angel | Danny | |
| 1983 | Loose Connections | Harry | |
| 1984 | The Company of Wolves | Young Groom | |
| 1985 | The Doctor and the Devils | Timothy Broom | |
| 1991 | Life Is Sweet | Patsy | |
| 1992 | The Crying Game | Fergus | National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actor Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actor |
| 1993 | Hedda Gabler | Ejlert Lovborg | TV |
| Bad Behaviour | Gerry McAllister | ||
| 1994 | Princess Caraboo | Gutch | |
| Angie | Noel Riordan | ||
| Interview with the Vampire | Santiago | ||
| Prêt-à-Porter | Milo O'Brannigan | National Board of Review Award for Best Cast | |
| 1995 | Citizen X | Lt. Viktor Burakov | (TV) |
| Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea | Nikos | ||
| All Men are Mortal | Fosca | ||
| 1996 | Trojan Eddie | Trojan Eddie | |
| Michael Collins | Ned Broy | ||
| Crime of the Century | Bruno Richard Hauptmann | Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film | |
| The Last of the High Kings | Cab Driver | ||
| 1997 | Double Tap | Cypher | |
| Fever Pitch | Ray, the Governor | ||
| The Butcher Boy | Da Brady | ||
| Hacks | Brian | ||
| A Further Gesture | Sean Dowd | ||
| 1998 | Still Crazy | Tony Costello | |
| This Is My Father | Father Quinn | ||
| 1999 | Guinevere | Connie Fitzpatrick | |
| The End of the Affair | Henry Miles | ||
| The Life Before This | Brian | ||
| In Dreams | Doctor Silverman | ||
| 2000 | The King's Wake | King Connor Mac Neasa | (voice) |
| 2001 | The Musketeer | Cardinal Richelieu | |
| On the Edge | Dr. Figure | ||
| 2002 | FeardotCom | Alistair Pratt, 'The Doctor' | |
| Evelyn | Michael Beattie | ||
| 2003 | The i Inside | Doctor Newman | |
| Bloom | Leopold Bloom | ||
| 2004 | Fluent Dysphasia | Murph | |
| Control | Dr. Arlo Penner | ||
| Proud | Barney Garvey | ||
| The Confessor | McCaran | alternate title The Good Shepherd | |
| The Halo Effect | Fatso | Nominated — Irish Film and Television Awards — Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Film | |
| 2005 | Breakfast on Pluto | Bertie | Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Film |
| Tara Road | Colm | ||
| River Queen | Francis | ||
| V for Vendetta | Inspector Finch | ||
| 2006 | Sisters | Dr. Philip Lacan | |
| Sixty Six | Dr. Barrie | ||
| 2007 | Until Death | Gabriel Callaghan | |
| The Reaping | Father Costigan | ||
| Stuck | Thomas Bardo | ||
| 2008 | The Devil's Mercy | Tyler | |
| Heidi 4 Paws | Doctor | (voice) | |
| Kisses | Down Under Dylan | uncredited | |
| The Heavy | Anawalt | ||
| 2009 | Nothing Personal | Martin | post-production |
| Ondine | post-production | ||
| Purple America | Lou | pre-production | |
| Metamorphosis | Herman Kafka | announced |
