Oscar-winning Irish actress Brenda Fricker dies aged 81

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Fricker, the first Irish actress to win an Oscar, died after a period of ill health, according to her agent Phil Belfield.

Mr Belfield’s statement read: “It is with much sadness that I share the news that beloved actress Brenda Fricker passed away last night peacefully after a period of ill health, at the age of 81.

“Dublin born and bred, Brenda Fricker undoubtedly deserves the noun legend…

“We will never see her like again and the world is lesser for the lack of her. 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.

The actress had a glittering acting career spanning six decades on stage and screen.

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Fricker became the first Irish actress to win an Academy Award in 1990, taking home the Best Supporting Actress prize for her role in My Left Foot, which tells the story of an Irish man named Christy Brown, who was born with cerebral palsy and could control only his left foot.

She was also well known for her role in the 1992 follow-up to Home Alone, where she played Pigeon Lady, a homeless woman in New York’s Central Park.

Over the course of her career, she appeared in more than 30 film and television productions, earning acclaim for a string of memorable performances.

Her best-known roles included appearances in The Field (1990), Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (1992), So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993), Angels in the Outfield (1994), A Time to Kill (1996), Inside I'm Dancing (2004) and Albert Nobbs (2011).

Fricker was also part of the original cast of BBC medical drama Casualty, and featured alongside Cate Blanchett in Veronica Guerin (2003).

Her later roles included the TV adaptation of Graham Norton’s first novel Holding, directed by Kathy Burke, and the Channel 5 drama series The Catch.

Mr Belfield said “Brenda’s versatility was renowned” and that her most recent solo film performance in Tadhg O’Sullivan’s The Swallow showed “the truth and majesty of Brenda as an actor” and said it was “a thing of beauty”.

Fricker’s memoir She Died Young appeared on the Irish Sunday Times bestseller list, and she was recently granted the Freedom of the City of Dublin, which Mr Belfield said she was “particularly thrilled and proud of”.

The US Ambassador to Ireland, Edward Walsh, has described Brenda Fricker as “a giant of Irish film” and praised her “unforgettable” Oscar-winning performance in My Left Foot.

In a post on X, he said: “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.”