Stephen Rea

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Stephen Rea
Stephen Rea at JDIFF 2012.jpg
Rea at JDIFF 2012
Born1946 (age 78–79)
Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
Education
OccupationActor
Years active1962–present
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1983;div. 2003)​
Children2

Stephen Rea ( /ˈreɪ/ ray; born 1946) is an Irish actor of stage and screen. 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 (1994), 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 .

Contents

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

Rea was born in Belfast in 1946. [1] His father was a bus driver and his mother a housewife. [2] His family was Protestant but sympathetic to Irish nationalism. [3]

He studied English at the Queen's University Belfast and drama at the Abbey Theatre School in Dublin. [2]

Career

Stage

Rea's association with playwright Stewart Parker began when they were students together at the Queen's University Belfast. [4] In the late 1970s, he acted in the Focus Company in Dublin with Gabriel Byrne and Colm Meaney. [5]

Rea helped establish the Field Day Theatre Company in 1980 with Tom Paulin, Brian Friel, Seamus Heaney, and Seamus Deane. [6]

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. [7] Rea returned to the Abbey in 2009 to appear in the world première of Sebastian Barry's Tales of Ballycumber. [8]

Rea starred in Enda Walsh's 2014 play Ballyturk and portrayed Jordan in Out of the Dark , [9] in which he co-stars alongside Julia Stiles, Scott Speedman and Alejandro Furth. [10] [11]

Screen

Stephen Rea in 2010 Stephen Rea.jpg
Stephen Rea in 2010

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. [12] [13] 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).[ citation needed ]

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

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

Voice

Rea was hired to speak the words of Gerry Adams when Sinn Féin was under a broadcasting ban from 1988 to 1994. [14]

In April 2012, Rea read James Joyce's short story The Dead on RTÉ Radio 1. [15]

He also narrated for the BBC Radio 4 production of Ulysses for Bloomsday, 16 June 2012.[ citation needed ]

Recognition and awards

Rea 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.[ citation needed ]

He was nominated for a BAFTA Award [ citation needed ] and for the Academy Award for Best Actor for The Crying Game (1992). [1]

In 2004, 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. [16]

He won a BAFTA Award for his role in The Honourable Woman in 2015. [1]

In 2020, The Irish Times ranked Rea the 13th greatest Irish film actor of all time. [17]

Other activities

As of 2012, Rea was an Ambassador for UNICEF Ireland. [18]

Personal life

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. [19] [20] They have two sons. [21] They divorced in 2003. [22] [23]

Ten years 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. [24]

As of 2020, Rea lives in County Donegal. [25]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1970 Cry of the Banshee Villager
1982 Angel Danny
1984 The Company of Wolves Young Groom
1985 The Doctor and the Devils Timothy Broom
1985 Loose Connections Harry
1990 Life Is Sweet Patsy
1992 The Crying Game 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 The Butcher Boy Benny Brady
1997The BreakSean Dowd
1997Double TapCypher
1997 Hacks Brian
1998 This Is My Father Mission PriestCameo
1998 Still Crazy Tony Costello
1999 In Dreams Dr. Silverman
1999 Guinevere Connie Fitzpatrick
1999 I Could Read the Sky P.J. Doran
1999 The Life Before This Brian
1999 The End of the Affair Henry Miles
2000The King's WakeKing Connor Mac Neasa(Voice) Short subject
2001 The Musketeer Cardinal Richelieu
2001 On the Edge Dr. Figure
2002 FeardotCom Alistair Pratt
2002 Evelyn Michael Beattie
2003 Bloom Leopold Bloom
2004 The I Inside Dr. Newman
2004The Halo Effect"Fatso"
2004 The Confessor McCaran
2004Fluent 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 The Reaping Father Michael Costigan
2007 Stuck Thomas Bardo
2008 The Devil's Mercy Tyler
2008 Kisses "Down Under" DylanUncredited cameo
2009Spy(ies)M. Palmer
2009Child of the Dead EndPatrick MacGill
2009 Nothing Personal Martin
2009 The Heavy 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 DocDirect-to-DVD
2013 Tasting Menu Walter
2014 Asylum McGahey
2014StyriaDr. Hill
2014 Out of the Dark Jordan
2015Ruby Strangelove Young WitchDanforth
2015An Enchanted RubyDanforth
2018 Black '47 Conneely
2018 Greta Brian Cody
2018 Unquiet Graves NarratorDocumentary about the Troubles
2021NightrideJoeVoice
2023 The Miracle Club Frank Dunne

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1964 Crossroads Pepe Costa
1967 Angel Pavement Second MateEpisode: "They Arrive"
1967SanctuaryStephen MoriartyEpisode: "The Voice of His Calling"
1969 Z-Cars KennyEpisode: "Snout: Part 2"
1970 Softly, Softly: Task Force Philip ConnerEpisode: "Trust a Woman"
1971 Omnibus Hubert PageEpisode: "Hail and Farewell-George Moore"
1972 The Moonstone Major FrayneEpisode: "1.1"
1974 Thriller Arden BuckleyEpisode: "K is for Killing" (US Title: "Color Him Dead")
1974–1979 Play for Today Peter / Chas / Shay3 episodes
1975–1976 I Didn't Know You Cared Carter Brandon13 episodes - (series 1 & 2 only; not in series 3 & 4)
1977BBC2 Play of the WeekHollarEpisode: "Professional Foul"
1978 Play of the Month ConstantinEpisode: "The Seagull"
1978 The Professionals PellinEpisode: "In the Public Interest"
1978Thank You, ComradesMayakovskyTV film
1980Caleb WilliamsTyrellEpisode: "1.1"
1982Joyce in JuneStanislaus Joyce / McIntoshTV film
1984 Minder Roddy AllanEpisode: "Windows"
1984 Four Days in July DixieTV film
1986 Boon Frank WarrenEpisode: "Fools Rush In"
1986 Screen Two FrankieEpisode: "Shergar"
1987Lost BelongingsLenny2 episodes
1987ScoutMarshallTV film
19894 PlayPaulSegment: "Not As Bad as They Seem"
1989 Endgame ClovTV film
1990 Not with a Bang Colin Garrity7 episodes
1993 Saturday Night Live Fergus(Uncredited) Episode: "Miranda Richardson/Soul Asylum"
1993–1995 Performance Ejlert Lovborg / Seamus Shields2 episodes
1995 Citizen X Lieutenant Viktor BurakovTV film
1996 Crime of the Century Bruno Hauptmann TV film
2001 A Scare at Bedtime Dr. Roger St. RoctorEpisode: "Not What the Doctor Ordered"
2001 Snow in August Rabbi Judah HirschTV film
2001 Armadillo Hogg3 episodes
2001–2002 Horrible Histories Narrator (voice, UK dub)26 episodes
2002 Copenhagen Niels Bohr TV film
2007Imeacht Na N'IarlaíAodh Ó Néill, Tiarna Thir EoghainEpisode: "1"
2008 10 Days to War Tim CrossEpisode: "These Things Are Always Chaos"
2009 Father & Son Augustine Flynn4 episodes
2009 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Callum "Cal" DonovanEpisode: "Solitary"
2009 Heidi 4 Paws The Doctor (voice)TV film
2010 Single-Handed Sean DoyleEpisodes: "The Lost Boys: Parts 1 & 2"
2011 Roadkill SeamusTV film
2011 The Shadow Line Gatehouse6 episodes
2013 Utopia Conran Letts5 episodes
2014 The Honourable Woman Sir Hugh Hayden-Hoyle8 episodes
2015–2016 Dickensian Inspector Bucket16 episodes
2016 War & Peace Prince Vassily Kuragin5 episodes
2016Fir BolgSpencerEpisode: "Nochtadh"
2018 Counterpart Alexander Pope7 episodes
2018ThanksgivingMelchior3 episodes
2020 The Stranger Martin Killane8 episodes
2020 Flesh and Blood Mark4 episodes
2022 The English Sheriff Robert Marshall6 episodes
2025 Prime Target Professor James Alderman5 episodes

Stage

YearTitlePlaywrightVenue
1967 Shadow of a Gunman Sean O'Casey The Mermaid Theatre, London
1969Captain Oates' Left Sock John Antrobus Royal Court Theatre, London
1971Crete and Sargent PepperJohn Antrobus
1973 The Freedom of the City Brian Friel
1973 The Duchess of Malfi John Webster 7:84 Theatre Company, London
1973Sargent Musgraves John Arden The Gate, Dublin
1973 The White Devil John WebsterNottingham 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
1982The Communication Cord Brian Friel
1984High Time Derek Mahon
1984The Riot Act Tom Paulin
1986Double Cross Thomas Kilroy
1987Pentecost Stewart Parker
1989Saint Oscar Terry Eagleton
2014 Ballyturk Enda Walsh Galway International Arts Festival
2014A Particle of Dread Sam Shepard Field Day Theatre Company
2016Cyprus Avenue David Ireland Royal Court Theatre, London
2020The Visiting HourFrank McGuinnessThe Gate Theatre, Dublin

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Stephen Rea wins Best Supporting Actor Bafta TV award". BBC News. 11 May 2015. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  2. 1 2 Auld, Tim (25 March 2016). "Stephen Rea: 'I never wanted to be a polite actor'". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2 August 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  3. ↑ "Stephen Rea: 'I can't imagine teams of loyalists rolling up to watch it'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  4. ↑ Lojek, Helen Heusner (2019). ""Too Clever for Belfast"? Stewart Parker's Joyce in June". New Hibernia Review / Iris Éireannach Nua. 23 (2): 77–94. ISSN   1092-3977. JSTOR   48670344.
  5. ↑ "From Angel to Devil: The Real Byrne". www.irishamerica.com. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  6. 1 2 "Queen's prepares for graduation week". Queen's University Belfast. June 2004. Archived from the original on 15 August 2004. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  7. ↑ "Ages of the Moon by Sam Shepard, 24 February – 4 April 2009". Abbey Theatre. 2009. Archived from the original on 3 October 2009. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  8. ↑ "Tales of Ballycumber". Abbey Theatre. 2009. Archived from the original on 6 July 2009. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  9. ↑ "Scare comes from Out of the Dark in this exclusive clip". Bloody Disgusting . 24 February 2012. Archived from the original on 25 February 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  10. ↑ Barton, Steve (26 February 2015). "First clips emerge Out of the Dark". Dread Central . Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  11. ↑ Boiselle, Matt (27 February 2015). "Out of the Dark (2015)". Dread Central . Archived from the original on 2 March 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  12. ↑ Szalai, Georg (6 March 2024). "Stephen Rea to Receive Irish Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  13. ↑ "How we made The Crying Game". The Guardian. 21 February 2017. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  14. ↑ Wolf, Matt (17 September 1994). "Actors lose jobs as ban on IRA voices is lifted". Austin American-Statesman. p. A3.
  15. ↑ "Rea reads The Dead on RTÉ Radio". RTÉ Ten. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 2 April 2012. Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  16. ↑ "Honour for Stephen Rea". Ulster University. 15 December 2004. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  17. ↑ Clarke, Donald; Brady, Tara (13 June 2020). "The 50 greatest Irish film actors of all time – in order" . The Irish Times . Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  18. ↑ "UNICEF Ireland Ambassadors & High Profile Supporters". UNICEF. Archived from the original on 12 July 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  19. ↑ Radden Keefe, Patrick (2018). Say Nothing. Penguin Random House. Pages 188, 252
  20. ↑ Foy, Ken; Murphy, Cormac (24 January 2013). "Dolours Price, former IRA terrorist and ex-wife of actor Stephen Rea, dies of suspected overdose". Irish Independent . Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  21. ↑ "Ex-IRA woman Dolours Price is found dead in Dublin". BBC News Online . 24 January 2013. Archived from the original on 8 October 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  22. ↑ Radden Keefe 252
  23. ↑ McDonald, Henry (28 January 2013). "Stephen Rea carries Dolours Price's coffin at funeral in Belfast: Former IRA hunger striker is buried after mass attended by Hollywood actor ex-husband". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  24. ↑ Radden Keefe, Patrick (2018). Say Nothing. Penguin Random House.
  25. ↑ "Actor Stephen Rea reveals he has found peace living in Donegal". 13 February 2020. Archived from the original on 13 February 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
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