Oscar-winner Brenda Fricker dead at 81
Irish actor Brenda Fricker has died aged 81, her agent has confirmed.
In 1990, Fricker became the first female Irish actor to win an Academy Award, taking home ‘Best Supporting Actress’ for her performance opposite Daniel Day-Lewis in My Left Foot.
For many people, Fricker is best known for her iconic role as the Central Park Pigeon Lady in the beloved classic film, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
Her agent Phil Belfield confirmed Fricker’s passing, stating, “We will never see her like again and the world is lesser for the lack of her.”
Belfield added, “I was honoured to know, love and work with her and she will always have a place in my heart and in the heart of so many film and TV fans the world over.”
No cause of death has been revealed.
While she began on British television, appearing on Coronation Street before a longstanding role on Casualty, Fricker made it to Hollywood, also featuring in films such as So I Married An Axe Murderer and A Time To Kill.
Although her Oscar win was historic, Fricker believed it had a negative impact on her career and led to her being typecast, telling The Times in 2024, “Do I regret it? Well, I can’t regret it because it happened and it wasn’t planned. What did happen was the old curse of the Oscars, as they call it.”
She elaborated, “The word ‘career’ is on everybody’s lips now, but it wasn’t then at all. If you had a career it meant that you were a bank manager.”
Last year, Fricker released her memoirs, She Died Young: A Life in Fragments, and opened up about her health issues.
She told The Guardian from the bed of her Dublin home, “I’m out of breath just talking. I’ve never known tiredness ever in my life. Weary. Will I ever get up again?” and also agonisingly shared of her condition, “I’m just dying, every day in pain”.
In her book, Fricker also discussed her harrowing experiences of rape and sexual abuse, as well as her longstanding battle with depression.
Fricker was married to director Barry Davis from 1979 until 1988, suffering several miscarriages during their relationship, which she later stated had a significant impact on her mental health.
Tributes have already bugan to pour in for the Irish icon, including from Edward Walsh, the US Ambassador to Ireland, who wrote on X, “Sad to hear of the passing of Brenda Fricker, a giant of Irish film and the first Irish actress ever to win an Academy Award for her unforgettable performance in My Left Foot.”
Walsh added, “From Dublin to Hollywood, her work brought Ireland’s stories to the world and inspired generations on both sides of the Atlantic. She leaves a remarkable legacy, and I extend my deepest condolences to her family, friends, and all who loved her”
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