Brenda Fricker, actress of Home Alone 2 and Oscar winner for My Left Foot, dies at 81

Brenda Fricker winner of the Oscar for best supporting actress in 1990 for her role in the drama starring Daniel Day-Lewis my left foothas passed away. The Irish performer, also known for her work on titles such as home alone 2 o Time to killhe was 81 years old

It was Fricker’s agent, Phil Belfield, who confirmed the news to The Sun newspaper this Friday. “We will never see someone like her again and the world is a worse place without her. “It was an honor to know her, love her and work with her, and she will always have a place in my heart and in the hearts of so many film and television fans around the world,” the representative said.

Fricker was born in Dublin and his first job was as assistant arts editor at the Irish Times before turning to acting. At the age of 19 he made his big screen debut with a small uncredited role in the 1964 film Human servitudedirected by Ken Hughes and starring Kim Novak, Laurence Harvey and Robert Morley

He later appeared in the first Irish soap opera, Stitch Row, before having a role in one of the most emblematic soap operas in the United Kingdom, Coronation Streetwhere she played a nurse. She later played Megan Roach in the BBC series Casualty until 1990 and appeared regularly on the series again until 2010.

Meanwhile, he made little of himself on the big screen, where in 1969 he had already filmed the adventure comedy directed by John Huston. The gallows can wait starring John Hurt and Pamela Franklin.

International fame came to him with the 1989 film my left foot with which she won the Oscar for best supporting actress for playing Christy Brown’s mother. Fricker thus became the first Irish actress to win an Oscar for her role as the mother of the artist played by Daniel Day-Lewis. In his speech, he dedicated the award to “all the people of Ireland”.

After this success, she played several roles, including the iconic ‘Pigeon Lady’, the homeless woman who lives in Central Park and helps Kevin in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York1992 films.

Other of his most notable titles were The meadow (1990), Angels (1994), Time to kill (1996), Moll Flandersthe courage of a woman (1996). From the late 1990s onwards, he worked mainly in Canadian, Irish and British films and in 2003 shared shots with Cate Blanchett in Veronica Guerin.

Then they came Omagh (2004), I dance inside (2004), Closing the circle (2007) y Albert Nobbs (2011) In 2021 he returned to the screen after a six-year break and joined the cast of the British iniserie Holding and his most recent role was in 2024 in The Swallowby retriever Tadhg O’Sullivan.

Earlier this year she was awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of Dublin for her contributions to the country’s arts and culture.