Oscar-winning actress Brenda Fricker dies at 81

Brenda Fricker, the Oscar-winning Irish actress acclaimed for her role in "My Left Foot" and beloved by a generation as the Pigeon Lady in "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York," died on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Dublin. She was 81. Her agent, Phil Belfield, confirmed her death on Friday, stating she passed away peacefully after a period of ill health.

In a statement, Belfield said, "We will never see her like again and the world is lesser for the lack of her. I was honored 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."

Fricker made history in 1990 when she became the first Irish actress to win an Academy Award, taking the Best Supporting Actress honor for her portrayal of Bridget Fagan Brown, the devoted mother of writer and artist Christy Brown, in Jim Sheridan's 1989 film "My Left Foot." During her acceptance speech, she dedicated the award to the woman she portrayed, remarking that "anybody who gives birth twenty-two times deserves one of these."

While her Oscar-winning performance brought her critical acclaim, she achieved widespread popular fame for her role as the kind-hearted,...