Stephen Rea

Infobox actor


name = Stephen Rea
caption =
birthname = Graham Rea
birthdate = birth_date_and_age|1946|10|31
birthplace = Belfast, Northern Ireland
occupation = actor
yearsactive =
spouse = Dolours Price (1983-2003)

Stephen Rea (born Graham Rea on October 31, 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".

Biography

Early life

Rea was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. One of four children in a working-class Presbyterian [ [http://www.stephenrea.net/articles_play02.htm Stephen Rea: An Appreciation] , Rea's website, sourced from The Times] [ [http://www.stephenrea.net/articles_times_feb98.htm Stephen Rea - In Print - EntWeeklyDEC ] ] but nationalistFact|date=May 2007 family, he attended Belfast High School and the Queen's University of Belfast, taking a degree in English.

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 [ [http://www.qub.ac.uk/home/TheUniversity/GeneralServices/News/ArchivesPressReleases-CampusNews/2004PressReleases/06-2004PressReleases/#d.en.5950 Queen's University Belfast | 06-2004 Press Releases ] ] and the University of Ulster [ [http://news.ulster.ac.uk/releases/2004/1459.html University Of Ulster News Release - Honour for Stephen Rea ] ] in 2004.

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.

Awards and nominations

* Tony Awards - nominee, best actor, "Someone Who'll Watch Over Me" (1993)
* Academy Awards - nominee, best actor, "The Crying Game" (1993)
* BAFTA Awards - nominee, best actor, "The Crying Game" (1993)
* National Society of Film Critics - winner, "The Crying Game" (1993)
* National Board of Review - winner, best acting by an ensemble (shared), "Prêt-à-Porter" (1994)
* Catalonian International Film Festival - winner, best actor, "Citizen X" (1995)
* Golden Globes - nominee, best actor in a made-for-TV movie for mini-series, "Crime of the Century" (1997)
* Daytime Emmy Awards - nominee, outstanding performer in a children's special, "Snow in August" (2002)
*IFTA Awards - nominee, best actor, "The Halo Effect" (2004)

Filmography

*"Crossroads" (1964) (TV series)
*"Translations" (1980)
*"Angel" (1982)
*"The Company of Wolves" (1984)
*"Life Is Sweet" (1990)
*"The Crying Game" (1992)
*"Hedda Gabler" (1993) (TV)
*"Princess Caraboo" (1994)
*"" (1994)
*"Prêt-à-Porter" (1994)
*"Citizen X" (1995) (TV)
*"Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" (1995)
*"All Men are Mortal" (1995)
*"Trojan Eddie" (1996)
*"Michael Collins" (1996)
*"Crime of the Century" (1996)
*"Double Tap (1997 film)" (1997)
*"Fever Pitch" (1997)
*"The Butcher Boy" (1997)
*"Still Crazy" (1998)
*"Guinevere" (1999)
*"The End of the Affair" (1999)
*"The Musketeer" (2001)
*"On the Edge" (2001)
*"FeardotCom" (2002)
*"Copenhagen" (2002) (TV)
*"The i Inside" (2003)
*"Bloom" (2003)
*"Fluent Dysphasia" (2004)
*"Breakfast on Pluto" (2005)
*"Tara Road" (2005)
*"River Queen" (2005)
*"V for Vendetta" (2006)
*"Sisters" (2006)
*"Sixty Six" (2006)
*"The Reaping" (2007)
*"Stuck" (2007)
*"Kisses" (2008)
*"The Heavy" (2008)

Footnotes

External links

*imdb name|id=0001653|name=Stephen Rea