First Irish actress to win Oscar and Home Alone 2 star dies at 81
Actress Brenda Fricker in Home Alone 2 (collage by RBC-Ukraine)
Irish actress Brenda Fricker, who was best known to audiences for her roles in Home Alone 2 and My Left Foot, has died at the age of 81, BBC reports.
The first Irish actress to win an Oscar
The actress's death was announced by her agent, Phil Belfield. He said it had been a great honor to work with Brenda and that her talent would be remembered by colleagues and millions of fans.
Fricker was born in Dublin and began her acting career in the 1960s. She first performed in theater and television productions before becoming one of Ireland's most celebrated actresses.
Brenda gained international recognition for her role as the mother of the main character in My Left Foot. For that performance, she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1990, becoming the first Irish actress to receive the prestigious honor.
Remembered for her role in Home Alone 2
For many viewers, Fricker will always be remembered as the mysterious woman who fed pigeons in Central Park in the comedy Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. It was her character who befriended Kevin, played by Macaulay Culkin.
The actress also spent many years playing nurse Megan Roach in the popular British television series Casualty.
In addition, she appeared in the films So I Married an Axe Murderer, A Time to Kill, Angels in the Outfield, and Veronica Guerin.
Despite her worldwide fame, Fricker admitted that her career did not unfold as she had expected after winning the Oscar. In one of her final interviews, the actress joked that the prestigious award brought neither money nor more acting opportunities. According to her, after her victory, she was actually offered fewer roles, describing it as a kind of "Oscar curse."
