DUBLIN, IRELAND. (THECOUNT) — Brenda Fricker, the Academy Award-winning actress best known to generations of movie fans as the Pigeon Lady in “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” died Thursday night in Dublin following a period of ill health, according to her agent. She was 81.
Fricker’s longtime agent, Phil Belfield, confirmed her death and said the acclaimed actress passed away peacefully.
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“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,” Belfield said in a statement.
Born in Dublin, Fricker became one of Ireland’s most celebrated actresses during a career that spanned decades across film, television, and theater.
She achieved international acclaim in 1990 when she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as the mother of Daniel Day-Lewis’ character in the acclaimed drama “My Left Foot.”
The Oscar victory made Fricker the first Irish actress to win an Academy Award.
While her Oscar-winning performance earned critical praise, Fricker became especially beloved among younger audiences through her role as the compassionate Pigeon Lady in the 1992 holiday classic “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.”
Her memorable scenes opposite Macaulay Culkin helped make the character one of the most recognizable figures in the popular Christmas sequel.
Fricker was also known for her appearance in the family sports film “Angels in the Outfield,” further cementing her place in the memories of moviegoers who grew up during the 1980s and 1990s.
Throughout her distinguished career, she appeared in numerous film, television, and stage productions, earning praise for her versatility and emotional depth as a performer.
Additional details regarding funeral arrangements were not immediately released.
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