Brenda Fricker is a former Irish theater, film and television actress. Her career spanned over 60 years. During this time, she played roles in more than 30 films and television projects. In 1990, she became the first Irish actress to receive an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in My Left Foot (1989). Since 2014, the actress has been retired.
Biography
Brenda Fricker was born on February 17, 1945 in Dublin, Ireland. Her mother, Bina Fricker (née Murphy) was a teacher at Stratford College, and her father, Desmond Frederick Fricker, is a Agriculture Department employee and journalist for The Irish Times.
After completing her secondary education, Brenda went to work for The Irish Times, where her father worked. She was hired as an assistant art editor with the prospect of being promoted to reporter.
Brenda became an actress by accident. At the age of 19 she was invited to star in the film Human Slavery (1964), based on the 1915 novel of the same name by Somerset Maugham. In the film, Brenda played a small role and was not mentioned in the credits.
Subsequently, Brenda appeared in Tolka Row, the first Irish soap opera.
Career
Brenda's first real television role was as Nurse Maloney in Coronation Street (1977).
Brenda is widely known throughout the United Kingdom for her role as nurse Megan Roach in the BBC television series Accident. Until 1990, Brenda played in 65 episodes of this series. In February 1998, she returned to the series to play the same role in two more episodes. In 2007, she played her character in another episode. Frickker's last appearance as Meghan was in 2010, when the character committed suicide.
International fame came to Brenda Fricker in 1990 when she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as mother Christy Brown in My Left Foot (1989). For the same work, Brenda was nominated for a Golden Globe and received the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress.
In 1990, Brenda co-starred with Richard Harris in the film The Field, directed and written by Jim Sheridan. Brenda played a character named Maggie McCabe in the film.
In 1991, she starred in the short film Bride of Christ, released in Australia, as Sister Agness.
In 1992, Brenda Fricker co-starred with Josette Simon in the television series The Seekers, produced by Sarah Lawson.
After receiving the Oscar, Brenda was invited to shoot in Hollywood. In 1992, she starred in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York as Pigeon Lady in Central Park.
In 1993, she played in How I Married an Ax Murderer as the mother of an obsessed Mike Myers.
In 1994 she played the caretaker in the family comedy "Angels".
Brenda's last Hollywood role was on the character Ethel Twitty in the 1996 film A Time to Kill. For this work, Brenda was nominated for the Stinkers Bad Movie Award for Worst Supporting Actress. Since then, she has played roles in film and television exclusively in Canada and the UK.
In 1999, Fricker played Aunt Maeve in Durango, a screenplay based on the novel by John B. Keane.
In 2003, Brenda played Bernie Guerin, mother of the main character Veronica Guerin (played by Cate Blanchett) in the film of the same name.
In 2004, she played Nurse Eileen in I Dancing Inside, for which she won the second Irish Film and Television Awards for Best Actress.
In the same year, the famous actress played the role of the police ombudsman in the TV documentary No Tears, about women who received the anti-D blood product in the seventies and who were infected with hepatitis C.
In 2007, Fricker starred in How About You, a movie about the people living in a nursing home, written from a screenplay by Maeve Binchy.
Brenda played the role of Reilly's grandmother and starred with Shirley MacLaine, Christopher Plummer and Misha Barton in Richard Attenborough's drama Closing the Ring (2007), dedicated to the final stage of World War II.
In 2012, Brenda was nominated for the third time in the Irish Film and Television Awards for Best Supporting Actress for her supporting role in Albert Nobbs. And together with Olympia Dukakis became the first acting couple to receive an Oscar for the role of a same-sex couple. The global LGBT community has highly appreciated the work of Brenda and Olympia, presenting them with various awards around the world.
Personal life
Brenda Fricker currently resides in her hometown Dublin in the Libertis area. She was married to director Barry Davis, but has long been divorced.
According to the actress, she adores her pet dogs, drinking Guinness beer, reading poetry and playing snooker. She once stated that she had taken the entire crew of the movie "My Left Foot" with her to snooker. And, playing against 17 people, Brenda defeated them all.
In one of her 2012 interviews, Brenda said that of all the films in which she played the roles, she considers the pictures "Cloud Explosion", "My Left Foot" and "Field" to be the most important.
Creativity in theater, film and television
Brenda Fricker has starred in the following films:
- 1964 Human Slavery, uncredited.
- "Sinful Davey" 1969 uncredited.
- "Above and Below" 1975.
- "Kvothermass. Conclusion "- TV series 1978-1979, the role of Alison Thorpe.
- The Music Machine (1979) - the role of Mrs. Pearson.
- "Bloody Children" (1980) - the role of a nurse.
- "Ballroom of Romance" (1982) - the role of Bridgie.
- The Woman Who Married Clark Gable (1985) as Mary.
- "Sound and Silence" - TV series 1992, the role of Eliza.
- "UTZ" (1992) - the role of Martha.
- "Seeking" is a 1992 television series starring Stella Hazard.
- "The Death Council" (1993) - the role of Iris Greenwood.
- "Unimportant Man" (1994) - the role of Lily Byrne.
- Angels in the Outfield (1994) as Maggie Nelson.
- The Ride is a TV movie starring Lottie.
- "Mall Flanders" (1996) - the role of Mrs. Mazzavatti.
- Swann (1996) as Rose Hindmarsh. For this role, Brenda was nominated for the Genie award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role.
- Inspirators (1997) - Principal Claire Maloney.
- Painted Angels (1998) - the role of Annie Ryan.
- "The Corpse Thief" (1998) - the role of Kelly Dorcas.
- "Meteor Pete" (1998) - the role of Lily.
- Resurrection (1999) - TV remake of the 1980 original; the role of Claire's mother.
- Cupid and Kate (2000) - the role of Wily Hendley.
- "War of the Bride" (2001) - the role of Betty. For this role, Fricker was nominated for a Genie Award for Best Lead Actress.
- Intended (2002) - the role of Mrs. Jones.
- "Conspiracy of Silence" (2003) - the role of Annie McLaughlin.
- Watermelon (2003) - Theresa Ryan.
- "Trauma" (2004) - the role of Petra.
- "Razorfish" (2004) - the role of Molly.
- Call Me: The Rise and Fall of Heidi Fleis (2004) - the role of Madame Alex.
- Milk (2005) - the role of the grandmother.
- Tara Road (2005) - the role of Mona.
- The Stone of Destiny (2008) - the role of Mrs. McQuarrie.
- "Beautiful People" (2008) - the role of Narg in the episode "How I got the beads."
- "Locked in the Downpour" (2010) - the role of Joan.
- "The Long Way From Home" (2013) - the role of Brenda.
- Forgive Me (2013), as Mrs. Smith, is Brenda Fricker's latest film and television work.
Among the theatrical works of Brenda Fricker, the most famous roles in the performances "The Plow and the Stars" and "Lavender Blue" on the stage of the National Theater, in the performances "In Two Shadows" and "Pagan Place" on the stage of the Theater of the Royal Court and in the production "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" at the Geffen Theater.
