Brenda Fricker, the acclaimed Irish actress and the first Irish woman to win an Academy Award, has died at the age of 81. Her agent, Phil Belfield, confirmed that Fricker passed away Thursday evening in Dublin after a period of ill health.

Fricker earned widespread recognition for her role as Bridget Fagan Brown in the 1989 film “My Left Foot,” portraying the determined mother of Christy Brown, a writer and painter born with cerebral palsy who could only control his left foot. Her performance won her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1990. That same year, Daniel Day-Lewis, who played Christy Brown, won the Oscar for Best Actor.

Director Jim Sheridan, who worked with Fricker on “My Left Foot,” described her to Irish national broadcaster RTE as an extraordinary talent with a strong personality and an unwavering dedication to her craft. “She could be obsessive — in everything she did — life, work, love. But no real malice or anything, she was just a very strong personality and a good laugh,” Sheridan said.

In her Oscar acceptance speech, Fricker expressed surprise at winning the honor, and paid tribute to both Christy Brown and his mother, acknowledging the challenges of childbirth and motherhood. She later reflected that the award led to her being typecast in maternal roles, and humorously said she once used her Oscar statuette to prop open a bathroom door.

Born in Dublin in 1945, Fricker’s acting career spanned six decades with more than 90 film and television credits. Among her notable roles was the “pigeon lady” in the 1992 film “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” where she played a homeless woman who befriends the main character in Central Park. She was also part of the original cast of the BBC medical drama “Casualty” and appeared in “Veronica Guerin,” a film about the Irish investigative journalist who was murdered in 1996.

Earlier this year, Fricker was honored with the Freedom of the City of Dublin, the highest civic recognition. Her 2025 autobiography, “She Died Young: A Life in Fragments,” detailed her childhood, career, and personal struggles, including experiences of sexual violence, mental health issues, and periods of institutionalization. The book appeared on the Irish Sunday Times bestseller list.

Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris described Fricker as a “national treasure” and “among the greatest exports this country has ever produced,” highlighting her impact as an ambassador for Irish talent internationally.

Fricker was married to director Barry Davies from 1979 until their divorce in 1988. She endured multiple miscarriages, which contributed to long-term depression. Belfield said Fricker will be deeply missed by fans worldwide and remembered as an exceptional artist and individual.