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Home Alone 2 actress Brenda Fricker has died at the age of 81, with tributes pouring in for the Oscar-winning Irish star known for her memorable role as the “pigeon lady” in the popular film.
Phil Belfield, Fricker’s agent, announced the news on Friday, saying that she passed away peacefully on Thursday in Dublin, Ireland, 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, after a period of ill health, at the age of 81,” Belfield said in a statement on Friday.
The actress gained worldwide recognition after winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1990 for her role as Daniel Day-Lewis’s mother in the critically acclaimed film “My Left Foot.”
Her Oscar win made her the first Irish actress to receive the prestigious award.
She beat Hollywood stars, including Julia Roberts and Anjelica Huston, to claim the honour.
The Irish actress was also loved by audiences for her role as the homeless woman who feeds and cares for pigeons in “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.”
The role became one of her most memorable performances.
Describing her as a “legend,” Belfield said Fricker’s career spanned decades, from theatre performances at London’s National Theatre and Royal Court to British television and Hollywood films.
“We will never see her like again and the world is lesser for the lack of her,” he said, adding that she would remain in “the heart of so many film and TV fans the world over.”
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin also paid tribute, describing Fricker as “an iconic figure in Irish film and theatre, an Oscar winner and an actor of world renown.”
“My thoughts are with her family and friends,” Martin said.
Fricker’s death marks the end of a celebrated career that left a lasting impact on Irish cinema, theatre and international film.
