‘A Dreadful Death’

Oscar-winning Irish actor Brenda Fricker has opened up about her declining health in a rare and candid interview, describing her final years as marked by pain and exhaustion.

The 80-year-old star, who won an Academy Award in 1990 for My Left Foot, revealed she now spends most of her time confined to bed in Dublin. Once a vibrant screen presence, Fricker admits even talking leaves her breathless. “I’m having a dreadful death,” she said.

Fricker’s career stretched across six decades, from early roles in Coronation Street and Casualty to her iconic turn as the “pigeon lady” in Home Alone 2. She worked alongside Daniel Day-Lewis in the biopic of Christy Brown, and in later years took roles in The Field, So I Married an Axe Murderer, and Veronica Guerin. Though she retired in 2014, she briefly returned for projects including Graham Norton’s drama Holding and the film The Miracle Club.

Despite her struggles, Fricker still finds joy in small comforts. She has admitted to late-night escapes into reality TV, confessing her fondness for The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. She also keeps in touch with Day-Lewis, who occasionally calls to check in.

Her reflections come as she prepares to release a memoir, She Died Young, which is expected to chronicle both her storied career and the personal challenges that have shaped her life.