Stephen Rea
Actor
Stephen Rea reflects on his upbringing in Northern Ireland and the impact of sectarian division on daily life. He shares insights into his acting process, emphasizing the importance of a strong script and portraying characters with authenticity.
Stephen Rea
“Devil’s Mercy”
About Stephen Rea
Stephen Rea is an Irish actor born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, who earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in The Crying Game (1992). He co-founded Field Day Theatre Company with Brian Friel in 1980 and became a frequent collaborator with filmmaker Neil Jordan on projects including Interview with the Vampire, Michael Collins, and Breakfast on Pluto. He won a BAFTA Award for The Honourable Woman in 2015.
In this interview
- Reflects on growing up in Northern Ireland amid sectarian division he calls repulsive and vile.
- Discusses his dependence on strong scripts and playing his Devil's Mercy character as normally as possible.
- Explains portraying a father who loves his daughter and would go to enormous lengths to keep her alive.
- Notes he frequently uses different accents despite perception that he doesn't.
“The guy loves his daughter and like any of us would with the child we go to enormous lengths to keep her alive.”— Stephen Rea, in this interview
