Brenda Fricker, Oscar-winning actress and 'Home Alone 2' star, dies at 81

Brenda Fricker, the first Irish actress to win an Academy Award, has died at 81 after a long illness, her agent Phil Belfield confirmed on July 17, 2026. She was best known for her Oscar-winning role as the mother of Christy Brown in My Left Foot (1989) and for her beloved portrayal of the "Pigeon Lady" in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992).

Oscar milestone

Fricker won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 1990 for My Left Foot, a biographical drama starring Daniel Day-Lewis. In her acceptance speech, she dedicated the award to "all the people of Ireland" Source: infobae. She became the first Irish performer to win an acting Oscar, a distinction she later called a "burden" in interviews Source: infobae.

Beloved role in Home Alone 2

Three years after her Oscar win, Fricker played the homeless woman who befriends Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) in Central Park. The role made her a household name and remains one of her most cherished performances. She recalled the experience as "absolutely marvellous" and humorously noted that her pigeon-covered costume could "empty a lift" Source: infobae.

Health and later years

Fricker had spoken openly about her health struggles, including depression and chronic pain, and was diabetic Source: mileniomx. Her agent stated she died peacefully in Dublin Source: elcolombiano. Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin expressed profound sadness, and U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Edward Walsh called her "a giant of Irish cinema" Source: hoydo.