Rea was innate around Belfast, Northern Ireland. One of little joe toddlers inside the working-class Protestant family, he attended Belfast High School and Queen's University, Belfast, taking a degree in English. He besides trained at a Abbey Theatre School in Dublin. When appearing on the stage & around television & film for numerous years within Irel& and Britain, Rea came to international attention whilst he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for the movie The Crying Game.

More films he has appeared around include The Company of Wolves, Princess Caraboo, Interview With the Vampire, Prêt-à-Porter, Michael Collins, Evelyn, FeardotCom, Citizen X, The Musketeer and The End of the Affair.

Stephen Rea has hanker been associated using a few of the first writers around Ireland. His association by using dramatist Stewart Parker (1941-1988, the uncle of Irish director Lynne Parker) for example, began once it were students together at Queen's. He besides helped form a Field Day Theatre Company in 198By owning writers Brian Friel, Tom Paulin, Seamus Heaney, and Seamus Deane. Inside recognition for his contribution to Irish theatre, Stephen Rea tend honorary degrees from each Queen's University, Belfast and the University of Ulster in 2004. He is married to previous IRA hunger striker Dolours Price.

Selected Filmography
V for Vendetta (2006) Tara Road (2005) Breakfast on Pluto (2005) Bloom (2003) Copenhagen (2002) (TV) FeardotCom (2002) The Musketeer (2001) The End of the Affair (1999) Guinevere (1999) The Butcher Boy (1997) Fever Pitch (1997) Michael Collins (1996) Citizen X (1995) (TV) Interview with the Vampire (1994) Princess Caraboo (1994) Hedda Gabler (1993) (TV) The Crying Game (1992) Life Is Sweet (1990) The Company of Wolves (1984) Crossroads (1964) (TV series)