In a cruel twist of irony Brenda Fricker, the actor who played the Pigeon Lady in Home Alone 2: Lost In New York calls Christmas a dark and lonely time. The Irish actor is probably best known for playing the character in the children's Christmas movie. The Pigeon Lady is a lonely old woman who is befriended by Macaulay Culkin's Kevin McCallister after he goes missing in New York City. Initially seen by the child as a threat, she turns out to be a friend, helping Kevin escape Marv (Daniel Stern) and Harry (Joe Pesci), the self-styled "sticky bandits" at the film's climax.

Fricker had a long and varied career beyond Home Alone, winning an Oscar for her supporting role in 1989's My Left Foot and also appearing in a number of other movies from the 1960s until her retirement from the screen just under a decade ago. Fricker was just 47 when she played the Pigeon Lady, but her makeup and wardrobe made her look much older, giving the impression of an old, lonely woman. The character was recently parodied by Kristen Wiig on SNL, proving the enduring popularity of the franchise.

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Now, Fricker has revealed her reality has caught up with the fiction of Home Alone 2, at least when it comes to her character's loneliness. Speaking on The Ray D'Arcy Show podcast, Fricker admits that Christmas time has become "dark" for her, as she's "old" and "lives alone." The now 75-year-old says she shuts herself off from the world, pulling the blinds down and turning off the phone over the holidays. Thankfully, she has a dog for company, citing her four-legged companion as the reason she can "get through" the season. You can read her full comments below:

"I would be lying if I said that it would be a nice and happy Christmas because I'm old and I live alone. It can be very dark. I just turn the phone off and put the blinds down. I do pre-record some good programs, and I have my dog and I get myself through it that way. I don't want to be sounding kind of negative but it is a different kind of Christmas, that's all."

Home Alone 2 Kevin and Pigeon Lady

It's a sad tale for Fricker who, despite her protests to the contrary, seems to have become just as lonely and isolated as her fictional counterpart. The story has gone viral, though, attracting attention around the world, and perhaps Fricker will find old friends reaching out to her during what is clearly a difficult time of year for her.

Fans around the world will certainly hope that happens, as the Home Alone franchise holds nostalgic memories for many movie lovers at Christmas time. The series remains so popular in fact that Disney is currently working on a reboot written by Mikey Day, one of the participants in the recent SNL sketch featuring the Pigeon Lady. Perhaps there might be space for a cameo for Fricker in the new Home Alone, referencing her impact on the series.

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Source: The Ray D'Arcy Show