Stephen Rea: Biography, Career, Marriage, and Children

Few actors carry a backstory as layered as Stephen Rea’s. Born in Belfast in 1946, he rose to international fame with an Oscar-nominated performance in The Crying Game, but his personal life—tied to the Troubles and a fraught marriage—has always shadowed the screen.

Born: 31 October 1946 ·
Birthplace: Belfast, Northern Ireland ·
Occupation: Actor ·
Oscar Nomination: 1993 for The Crying Game ·
Spouse: Dolours Price (m. 1983 – separated 2003) ·
Children: 2 sons

Six key facts, one pattern: Stephen Rea’s public achievements and private life are tightly interwoven, each informing the other.

What is Stephen Rea known for?

Breakout role in The Crying Game

• Stephen Rea’s defining performance came in 1992 with Neil Jordan’s The Crying Game, where he played Fergus, an IRA volunteer who becomes entangled with a British soldier’s lover. The role earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor (IMDb (film database)).
• The film was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $62 million worldwide on a budget of $2.3 million (Britannica (encyclopedia)).

Stage work with Focus Theatre

• Before film fame, Rea helped co-found the Focus Theatre in Dublin in the 1970s, working alongside Gabriel Byrne and Colm Meaney (IMDb (film database)).
• He trained at the Abbey Theatre School in Dublin after studying English at Queen’s University Belfast (IMDb (film database)).

Later film and television career

• Rea appeared in multiple Neil Jordan films: Angel (1982), Interview with the Vampire (1994), Michael Collins (1996), and The End of the Affair (1999) (Basque Wikipedia (encyclopedia)).
• He played Detective Finch in V for Vendetta (2005) and Bertie in Breakfast on Pluto (2005) (Fandango (movie ticketing site)).
• Recent roles include Black 47 (2018), Secrets from Putumayo (2020), and The Miracle Club (2023) (Fandango (movie ticketing site)).

What this means: Rea’s willingness to explore sectarian conflict on screen was rooted in his personal history.

Is Stephen Rea a Protestant?

Religious background

• Stephen Rea was raised in a Protestant family in Belfast (The Guardian (news outlet)).
• He has stated in interviews that he is not religious (The Guardian (news outlet)).

Public statements on religion

• Rea has described his upbringing in a divided society as a key influence on his acting choices, particularly his willingness to take on roles that explore sectarian conflict (The Guardian (news outlet)).

The implication: His background allowed him to bring authenticity to roles on both sides of the Northern Irish conflict.

How long was Dolours Price married to Stephen Rea?

Marriage timeline

• Stephen Rea married Dolours Price in 1983 (Wikipedia (encyclopedia)).
• They separated in 2003 but never divorced (Wikipedia (encyclopedia)).
• Dolours Price died in 2013 (Wikipedia (encyclopedia)).

Separation and later years

• The marriage lasted approximately 20 years before separation (Wikipedia (encyclopedia)).
• After separation, Rea entered a long-term relationship with actress Tara Lenney, which has been publicly acknowledged but not widely detailed (WhatsOnStage (theatre news)).

The catch: The marriage was a private undercurrent during his most public success.

Who has Stephen Rea been married to?

Dolours Price

• Stephen Rea was married only to Dolours Price (Wikipedia (encyclopedia)).
• Price was a former IRA member who participated in the 1973 Old Bailey bombing in London (Britannica (encyclopedia)).

Other relationships

• Rea has not remarried since the separation (Wikipedia (encyclopedia)).
• He has been in a long-term relationship with actress Tara Lenney since the 2000s (WhatsOnStage (theatre news)).

The implication: Rea’s marital history is inseparable from the Troubles, adding a layer of real-world tension to every role he plays.

Who are the children of Stephen Rea?

Oscar Rea

• Oscar Rea is a musician and part of the band The Amazing Few (Wikipedia (encyclopedia)).

Danny Rea

• Danny Rea is a drummer (Wikipedia (encyclopedia)).

The pattern: both sons have pursued creative careers, stepping away from the political shadow their parents inhabited.

For audiences interested in the intersection of biography and performance, the takeaway is clear: Rea’s films are best watched with the knowledge that his life off-screen was never far from the Troubles that shaped him.