HOME Alone’s ‘pigeon lady’ looks worlds away from her film character 32 years after the iconic movie.
Irish actress Brenda Fricker, now 79, starred in the 1992 Christmas favourite, playing a homeless woman who forms a bond with Macaulay Culkin’s part, Kevin McCallister.
Despite her mysterious introduction, the vagrant later comes to Kevin’s rescue when he faces trouble in New York City‘s Central Park.
Over the years, she has inspired a flurry of fan theories, including comparisons to The Sun columnist Piers Morgan.
Many have joked online that Piers bears a striking resemblance to the bird-loving character, leading to playful jibes each festive season.
In a recent appearance on The Tommy Tiernan Show, Brenda opened up about her career and her quiet life away from the spotlight.
Brenda shared, “I live a very quiet life well under the radar. I drive a tiny car, own a cottage, and that’s about it.
“I spend a lot of time talking to the wall or the dog, writing poetry, reading books, and watching television.
“It’s nothing different from anyone else’s life, except maybe I talk to the wall a little more than most.”
During her conversation with Tommy, she also touched on her struggles with mental health and why she stepped back from acting.
Brenda explained, “Just yesterday, the doctor said, ‘We’re going to put you on stronger antidepressants.’ I’ve always been somewhat of a recluse, but being told to stay indoors makes me want to do the opposite.”
She reflected on the challenging period she spent at St. Patrick’s Hospital in Dublin, crediting a prominent psychiatrist, Dr. Anthony Clare, with helping her through her darkest moments.
Brenda said, “He saved my life. He had such an incredible mind and really understood me. I’d always leave his office feeling lighter, like he had reached something deep inside me.”
She has previously spoken about the financial and emotional struggles she’s faced over her career.
In 2012, she revealed she had depleted her savings and was living modestly.
Brenda admitted, “I’m broke. But as long as I have a roof over my head and can feed myself and the dog, I’m content.”
She also revealed the toll of battling depression for decades.
Brenda said, “I’ve suffered from depression for 50 years. Now, I see a therapist every week—not necessarily for therapy but just to hear another human voice.”
Meanwhile, Piers has continued to address the recurring fan theory linking him to Brenda’s role in Home Alone 2.
Recently, a social media user posted a photo of the Pigeon Lady, joking, “This is @piersmorgan’s finest work.”
Piers replied, “It’s. Not. Me.”
Despite his denials, the jokes persist, with fans teasingly urging him to embrace the comparison.
One user wrote, “Just take the credit and move on!”
Piers has even discussed the claims on air.
On Good Morning Britain, his former co-host Susanna Reid once teased, “Lots of people watch Home Alone 2 and wonder if this is you.”
Piers retorted, “Why does this keep coming back? I’m not the bag lady from Home Alone 2!”
Brenda’s career has spanned six decades on stage and screen, having appeared in more than 30 films and television roles.
Before becoming an actress, Brenda was assistant to the art editor of the Irish Times, with hopes of becoming a reporter.
At age 19, she became an actress “by chance”, and her feature film career began with a small uncredited part in the 1964 film Of Human Bondage, based on the 1915 novel by W. Somerset Maugham.
She also appeared in Tolka Row, Ireland‘s first soap opera.
In 1990, she became the first Irish actress to win an Academy Award, picking up Best Supporting Actress for the biopic My Left Foot (1989).
She was honoured with the inaugural Maureen O’Hara Award at the Kerry Film Festival in 2008 – the award is offered to women who have excelled in their chosen field in film.
In 2020, she was listed at number 26 on The Irish Times list of Ireland’s greatest film actors.
In 1989, she became the first Irish actress to win an Academy Award for her role in My Left Foot.
Brenda is best known for film roles, but she also starred in Casualty in the late 80s.
In 2022 she returned to TV in ITV’s Holding, playing Lizzie Meany.
On the big screen, are biggest roles include The Field (1990), So I Married An Axe Murderer (1993), Veronica Guerin (2003), Inside I’m Dancing (2004) and Albert Nobbs (2011).
Brenda was married to director Barry Davies for almost a decade.
They tied the knot in 1979 before divorcing in 1988.
After they ended their marriage due to his health issues, they decided to still remain friends.
Brenda said in a radio interview: “He was a wonderful, interesting, lovely man. He became an alcoholic and I couldn’t live with it.
“I tried, I did everything and eventually I thought, ‘I will divorce him and see if that frightens him’, but it didn’t.
“We kept seeing each other, we were madly in love.
“On the day we got divorced we held hands and went off to the movies, it was ridiculous.”
She doesn’t have children.
