In 1995, he starred as Daryl in Paul Verhoeven's "Showgirls", a film which was a major flop and often considered one of the worst films ever made but which began to develop a cult following in 2006. Stea has appeared in numerous movies and television series, mainly in dancer roles, including "Newsies", "Melrose Place", "", "Showgirls", "The Birdcage", "Across the Universe", "Fired Up", "Charlie's Angels", "Friends", "Austin Powers in Goldmember", "13 Going On 30", "Rent", "Scrubs", "Dancing with the Stars", "Rumor Has It..." and "Naked Boys Singing". He has appeared in over 50 commercials, most notably for Gap, Old Navy and Pepsi.