Brenda Fricker has passed away. The 81-year-old actress was the first Irish woman to win an Academy Award for her role opposite Daniel Day-Lewis in the 1989 film My Left Foot. She was also known for portraying the Pigeon Lady in 1992’s Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
Fricker’s death was confirmed by her agent, Phil Belfield, in a statement to the BBC. The actress died on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Dublin. “We will never see her like again and the world is lesser for the lack of her,” Belfield wrote in his statement. “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.”
Before acting, Fricker worked as an assistant art editor at The Irish Times. She started her acting career in the early 1960s, appearing on Ireland’s first soap opera, Tolka Row. Following that, she appeared in a handful of films before landing a role in the British soap opera Coronation Street. Fricker remained active in both film and television, appearing in The Quatermass Conclusion, The Ballroom of Romance, and more.
It wasn’t until the 1986 British drama Casualty that Fricker found a long-term recurring role, playing Nurse Megan Roach for five seasons. Fricker would go on to reprise the role in guest appearances on the show in later years. Following her exit, Fricker played Daniel Day-Lewis’ onscreen mother in My Left Foot, earning global recognition for the role.
She followed that up with roles in Utz, Seekers, and finally, Home Alone 2, playing one of her most well-known roles as the Pigeon Lady in Central Park. After that, she worked in various films, with credits in A Time to Kill, Masterminds, Resurrection Man, Omagh, and many more. Her most recent roles were in the TV series Cam Boy, the 2022 series Holding, 2023’s The Catch, and 2024’s The Swallow.
“She was a consummate performer who graced our screens and stages with remarkable talent and authenticity. Brenda brought depth and humanity to every role she undertook,” said Ireland’s Tánaiste Simon Harris.
“She truly was among the greatest exports this country has ever produced and an ambassador for Irish talent on the world stage. Quite simply, we will never see the like of her ever again.”
ComingSoon sends condolences to Fricker’s friends and family at this time.
