A note from the webmistress: I created this site nearly a decade ago. Back in 1999, I lost control of the email address attached to this Tripod account and, with that, control of the site.

It's now 2008 and I've finally gotten control over this account again. However, this site will not be updated. I'm unsure as to whether I will keep this site up as an archive or not. Please feel free to take whatever material you like from the site in the meantime.

For up-to-date information, I recommend the site Stephen Rea - A New Appreciation.

Stephen Rea (according to The Internet Movie Database born, 1949 in Belfast, Ireland, although other sources give dates ranging from 1943 to 1950) only came to the attention of American audiences with the success of Neil Jordan's The Crying Game, but he has a film, television, and stage career based in Ireland and the UK that stretches back through the 1970's. He co-founded, wth Seamus Heaney and Brian Friel, the Field Day Theater Company based in Dublin which performed around Ireland to spred live theatrical performance to places that had little access to it. He performed in all Field Day's productions except one, which he directed. His work now include over 30 films. 7 (soon to be 8) of his films were made with director/writer Neil Jordan, including Rea's 1982 film debut in Angel (available on video in the US and Canada as Danny Boy), The Company of Wolves, The Crying Game, Interview With The Vampire, Michael Collins, the award-winning The Butcher's Boy, and the most recently released In Dreams with Annette Bening. He appears in Jordan's as yet unreleased The End of the Affair.

In 1983, Rea married Dolours Price. They have two sons.

Rea made an appearance on Saturday Night Live when his The Crying Game co-star Mirranda Richardson hosted the show on March 20, 1993. He was in one sketch at the top of the show: the viewers see a scene unfold as in The Crying Game. We see him in a darkly lit bar resembling The Metro in the film. He is handed a fruity drink with an unbrella. We see Mirranda as Jude who stares at him. Then we hear the opening strains of song "The Crying Game," the spotlight hits the small stage, and just as we expect Jaye Davidson as Dil come out to sing... We see Pat, the sexually 1) abiguous and 2) unatractive person sing and do the famous hand movements.

Rea appeared in the Frank McGuinness play Someone Who'll Watch Over Me on Broadway. Follow this link to read the Playbill article from February 1993.

Stephen Rea's current projects include directing a documentary to commemorate the 1798 rebellion in Ireland.

He fas filmed a starring role in Neil Jordan's film of the Graham Green's novel The End Of The Affair [Link to Columbia Pictures' Official Site] along with Ralph Finnes, Julianne Moore, and Ian Hart. The End of the Affair is due to be released in the USA on December 27, 1999 by Columbia Pictures. it will be release in Iceland on February 3rd, 2000.

And he appeares in the indie film Gueneviere which was shown at the Sundance Film Festival. Gueneviere is to be released in September of 1999 in the USA by Miramax.

Jerry Ciccoritti's The Life Before This, from Canada is filming. Films currently in preproduction inclued Platform Entertainment's The Glen by screenwriter (and former Nun) Mary Pat Kelly. It is currently expected to star Rea and will be directed by Richard Benjamin with Dan Levin producing.

Rea has made a film called I Could Read The Sky. I have scant information about the film. An Irish News article about Sinn Fein activist Danny Morrison, who appears in the film, states that the story, based on the book by Timothy O’Grady, "tells of the experiences of the many Irish emigrants who went off to England in the 1940’s and 1950’s and never came back to Ireland." The film, which recieved funding from the British Film Institute, the Irish Film Institute and Channel Four Television, will most likely air on television in the UK and Ireland. It has not been listed at The Internet Movie Database. So, if you have any information, let me know...

For those of you who are interested in Rea's wife and sister-in-law, I am told that the book The Lady Killers: Famous Women Murderers, Jonathan Goodman (editor)[link to this book at Amazon.com] contains information about them. I have not read this book myself and am not aware of the book's content.

Unfortunatly, Stephen Rea has stated that, while he would have liked to do it, he will not be appearing in the Broadway revival of Eugene O'Neill's "Moon For The Misforgotten." The New York Times had reported that Rea might be a cast member.

For information about the availibility of Rea's work on video and audio, as well as current theater and public appearence information, follow this link to the Seeing Stephen Rea Section.

Internet Movie Database Listing

TV NOW Presents... Stephen Rea on TV for this month

E! Online Fact Sheet

Clapboard - Details for Stephen Rea

Big Star.com Video's biography of Stephen Rea

Irish News Online Article about Sinn Fein activist Danny Morrison appearing in I Could Read The Sky.

FILM SITES...

Still Crazy -- Official Site

In Dreams -- Official Site

The Butcher Boy -- Official Site

Hollywood Online listing for The Butcher Boy

Irish Film & Television Net listing for Angel

Trojan Eddie: filmfestivals.com listing from the London Film Festival 1996

Photos and some production information from The Crying Game

Washington Post.com article about The Crying Game

News about The End Of The Affair from Empire Online's Movie Track

Photos and Wav sound files from Nobody Here But Us Chickens

Excerpted text from Nobody Here But Us Chickens

Guestbook

For information about sources for the facts and photographs on this site, copyright information, acknowledgments, site guidelines, and actor Ian Hart, follow this link to our About This Site page.

Last Updated: June 24th, 1999
Photographs Copyright Belong To Individual Owners
No Profits Are Made From This Site