Stephen Joyce was an American stage, television, and film actor born in New York City to Stephen James Joyce and Ruth Rita Reilly. His family moved to Brooklyn, where he attended Catholic schools, Xavier High School, and Fordham University, majoring in theater. He married Billie Jean Jones, and they had three children.
Joyce served in the Air Force during the Korean War, spending two years in the Far East. After his discharge, he was cast in the 1957 film Street of Sinners, followed by notable roles in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965),Irish Whiskey Rebellion (1972),The Dark Secret of Harvest Home (1978),One Police Plaza (1986),A Stranger Is Watching (1982),The Red Spider (1988),Stranger on My Land (1988),Billy Bathgate (1991),and Invasion (1997).
Joyce's first professional job was with the Irish Players, and his first major role in New York City was as Romeo in the initial production of Shakespeare in the Park. His performance earned praise from Walter Kerr, who wrote, "in short this Romeo must be fairly close to what Shakespeare had in mind." Joyce went on to appear at the American Shakespeare Festival, San Diego Festival, and Pilgrimage Theater in Hollywood, playing iconic roles such as Hotspur, Leontes, Puck, Hamlet, Biff, Caliban, Bill Cracker, and Sigismund.
In addition to his stage work, Joyce appeared in numerous television shows, including Another World, The Edge of Night, Search for Tomorrow, All My Children, General Electric Theater, Bronco, Texas, For Richer, for Poorer, Omnibus, Combat!, Matinee Theatre, Studio One, Where the Heart Is, Miami Vice, The Equalizer, Crazy Like a Fox, and Spenser: For Hire, as well as numerous voice-overs.