Brenda Fricker, the Oscar-winning actress known for her role in “My Left Foot” and as the pigeon lady in “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” has died at the age of 81.
Her agent, Phil Belfield, confirmed that the Irish actress died Thursday “after a period of ill health.”
“It is with much sadness that I share the news that beloved actress Brenda Fricker passed away peacefully last night in Dublin,” Belfield said in a statement. “We will never see her like again, and the world is lesser for the lack of her.”
A Legendary Career
Fricker was born in Dublin on Feb. 17, 1945. Her career spanned more than 30 film and television roles.
She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1990 for her portrayal of the mother of Christy Brown, a writer and painter born with cerebral palsy, in the biopic “My Left Foot.” Daniel Day-Lewis starred as Brown.
Audiences would likely recognize her as the Central Park pigeon lady in the 1992 film “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” a role that endeared her to a generation of fans.
Recent Honors
Fricker recently published a memoir titled “She Died Young,” which appeared on the Irish Sunday Times bestseller list. She was also granted the Freedom of the City of Dublin, “which she was particularly thrilled and proud of,” her agent said.
The Bottom Line
Brenda Fricker, the Oscar-winning Irish actress known for “My Left Foot” and “Home Alone 2,” has died at 81. Her agent confirmed she passed away peacefully in Dublin after a period of ill health. Fricker won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1990 and recently published a bestselling memoir. She was also granted the Freedom of the City of Dublin.
