HOLLYWOOD actor Stephen Rea paid tribute to an Armagh-born star of stage and screen as a blue plaque was unveiled at his birthplace.
Patrick Magee was best known for his collaborations with playwright Samuel Beckett and US film director Stanley Kubrick.
His son and daughter read tributes at the Ulster History Circle event on Edward Street on Saturday, alongside leading figures from the arts including Daragh Carville, Shane Connaughton and Sam McCready.
Born in 1922, Magee was the eldest of five children and was educated at St Patrick’s Grammar School, Armagh before he took to the stage.
He moved to London in 1954 and became a pioneer in the interpretation of Samuel Beckett’s radio work at the BBC.
He also appeared in horror films and in two Kubrick movies, A Clockwork Orange and Barry Lyndon.
Belfast-born Rea said Magee was "one of our greatest actors".
He said he worked with him on the Beckett play Endgame, which was the "most magnificent performance I've ever been on stage with".
"He was a very special figure because he moved Irish acting out of the area of pure character acting into being a leading actor of a different type," he told UTV.
Magee's son Mark said it was "absolutely fantastic" his father was being honoured.
"He died 35 years ago and in some cases he didn’t get the recognition that he deserved," he said.
