Home Alone 2: Lost in New Yorkis still a fan-favorite Christmas movie, which has been proven as it joined its predecessor at the top of the Disney+ movie chart this festive season. However, there is one star of the movie who has revealed that starring in the much-loved film did not bring her as much joy as it has brought others.
Brenda Frickeris probably best known for playing the Pigeon Lady inMacaulay Culkin’s second outing as Kevin McCallister, in which he ends up taking the wrong flight and finds himself being pursued once again byJoe Pesci and Daniel Stern’s Harry and Marvwhile being “lost in New York.” In a similar beat to the 1990 original, Kevin ends up being befriended by the at-first scary homeless Pigeon Lady and all is well in the end.
In real life though, Fricker revealed that she has not had such a happy ending, as despite appearing in many movies, and even winning an Oscar for her role in the Daniel Day Lewis dramaMy Left Foot, the actress ended up lonely, with little cash, and even attempted suicide on more than 30 occasions. In a frank discussion recently onThe Tommy Tiernan Show, Fricker explained:
“I lived off my savings while they lasted, but now I’m completely broke. But as long as I have a roof over my head and feed the dog and feed myself, I’m perfectly content. I live a very quiet life well under the radar and I drive a tiny car, own a cottage, that’s about it. Talking to the wall quite a bit, talking to the dog, writing poetry, reading books, watching television. Nothing different than anybody else does, except being alone so much can make you talk to the wall a bit more than most people.”
Brenda Fricker’s Struggles with Mental Health
While many people still believe that starring in a Hollywood blockbuster means all of your worries just disappear, Fricker is a case study that proves this is not the case. In the same interview, the former actress opened up about her struggles with her mental health over the years, including a 50-year fight with depression, something that saw her attempt to take her own life on 32 separate occasions. She said:
“Just yesterday, I visited the doctor who said, ‘We’re going to put you on stronger antidepressants.’ I’m somewhat of a recluse. Choosing to stay indoors is one thing, but being told to do so makes me want to go outside”
Home Alone 2, 30 Years Later: The Godfather Part II of Children’s Movies
Home Alone 2 recently turned 30 years old, and though it didn’t do well with critics, the movie is much better than its original reviews indicated.
The actress continued to credit one of the doctors of St Patrick’s Hospital, Dublin, for essentially saving her life.
“It was tough, but there was a fantastic doctor, Anthony Clare. He saved my life. He was exceptional with me. He really pulled me out of the depths. Just an incredible mind. He understood me and reached me. I always left feeling happy after seeing him. He made me feel good.”
Over a decade ago, the actress revealed her extensive struggles with depression. In a previous interview, she revealed the extent of her case, saying in a 2012 interview,“I suffered from depression for 50 years. But now I go to a therapist once a week, purely to have a conversation and to hear another human voice.”After revealing the sad truth about her multiple suicide attempts, she said,“You get so bloody tired of nobody listening to you.”
