Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
Dublin
'We will never see her like again': Oscar-winning actress Brenda Fricker dies aged 81
Fricker was one of Ireland’s most respected and well-known actors.
LAST UPDATE | 17 Jul
BRENDA FRICKER HAS died at the age of 81.
Her agent Phil Belfield confirmed the news, saying: “It is with much sadness that I share the news that beloved actress Brenda Fricker passed away peacefully last night after a period of ill health, at the age of 81.
“We will never see her like again and the world is lesser for the lack of her. 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.”
Fricker was one of Ireland’s most respected and well known actors, and was the first Irish woman to win an Academy Award.
She won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 1990 for her role in My Left Foot, starring opposite Daniel Day-Lewis.
Beyond her screen work, which also includes beloved roles in Home Alone 2, The Field, Veronica Guerin, Angels in the Outfield, So I Married An Axe Murderer and A Time to Kill, Fricker spoke publicly and candidly about depression and isolation.
Appearing on The Tommy Tiernan Show in 2021, she opened up about her struggles with her mental health, saying she has been admitted to hospital many times and was a “regular” at St Patrick’s Hospital.
Asked by Tiernan if she was sad, she said yes. “I think sadness is almost necessary to have as an emotion because how else do you empathise?”.
The wide-ranging interview also saw Fricker tell the comedian that her Oscar was “holding the bathroom door open”.
Tributes have begun to pour in for the Irish screen legend.
‘Profound loss to Irish film community’
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he was “deeply saddened” to learn of her death.
“She was 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.”
President Catherine Connolly said Fricker’s Oscar win “was one of the factors that led to the revitalisation of the Irish film industry and she has for decades served as a role model for Irish actors”.
She added: “In speaking of the challenges and traumas which she faced in her life, Brenda showed great courage and provided help for others in facing their own challenges.
“She will be deeply missed.”
Former president Michael D Higgins said that while Fricker was the first Irish woman to win an Oscar, “what she’ll most be remembered for is the wide range and versatility of the roles she took, and above all, her reputation among fellow actors for kindness, generosity and support.”
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said Fricker’s “extraordinary talent, warmth and wit brought Irish stories and characters to audiences across the world”.
“Proudly Irish and never afraid to speak her mind, Brenda leaves behind a remarkable artistic legacy that will endure for generations,” she said.
Ardmore Studios in Co Wicklow described Fricker’s death as a “profound loss to Ireland’s film community”.
“It holds special significance for Ardmore Studios that My Left Foot was filmed here and she became a close part of our Ardmore family here at the time,” the studios said in a statement.
“The film remains a landmark achievement in Irish cinema, and Brenda’s remarkable performance stands among the finest ever delivered by an Irish actor on screen.”
Brenda leaves behind an enduring legacy. She will be remembered with great affection and admiration by audiences, filmmakers and fellow actors around the world.
“Her contribution to Irish cinema has been immeasurable, and her work will continue to inspire generations to come.”
In a statement, the studio said Fricker was “a true giant of Irish acting, her extraordinary talent, warmth and authenticity brought some of the most memorable characters in Irish and international cinema to life.
Lord Mayor of Dublin Daryl Barron extended his “heartfelt sympathies” to Fricker’s family and friends.
She was a proud Dub with a sharp wit and warmth that exuded to all who knew her and experienced her work. She will be sorely missed.
In February, Fricker was awarded the Freedom of the City of Dublin, which Belfield said she “was particularly thrilled and proud of”.
Former Dublin lord Mayor Ray McAdam said he was proud to nominate her for it “because few people have brought such honour to our city”.
“Through her remarkable career, she carried Dublin with her wherever she went and inspired generations of Irish artists in return.”
Last year, the Dublin-born actor published a memoir, She Died Young: A Life in Fragments, in which she reflected on her childhood, her struggles with mental health, and the way acting became both a refuge and a means of survival.
Fricker was ill during her time writing the book, and in an interview with Brendan O’Connor at her home last year said she had written the majority of the book on her phone in bed.
“One finger banging on the phone under the duvet at night,” she said, adding that the predictive text drove her “mad”.
She previously said that work gave her a sense of safety and purpose, from her early days on the Abbey Theatre stage to an international career that took her from Tolka Row to Hollywood.
With reporting from Jane Moore
have your say