Brenda Fricker played the reclusive “pigeon lady” in 1992’s Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

Brenda Fricker in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Photo: 20th Century Fox/shutterstock

Brenda Fricker, the actress who played the reclusive “pigeon lady” in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, is getting candid about her holiday plans.

During a recent appearance on The Ray D’Arcy Show, the 75-year-old Oscar winner shared that Christmas “can be very dark” for someone like herself, who lives alone.

“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,” she said, adding that she has spent past Christmas holidays in solitude.

“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,” she continued. “I don’t want to be sounding kind of negative but it is a different kind of Christmas, that’s all.”

The Cast of Home Alone: Where Are They Now?

However, Fricker noted that there is another holiday that is quite tough for her to spend alone.

“I don’t find Christmas all that difficult. What I do find very difficult is New Year’s Eve,” she shared, explaining there’s “no one to turn around to hug or smile at” when her local church bells ring at midnight to usher in the new year.

“I can’t get away from the bells,” she said.

When host Ray D’Arcy remarked that it’s “ironic” so many families will be watching her in the Home Alone sequel while she spends Christmas alone, Fricker replied, “Well, the pigeon lady was very much on her own.”

Fricker added that she doesn’t speak to her former costar Mccaulay Culkin anymore, though she does think about him occasionally.

“I worry about him, but I’m not in touch with him,” she said.

Brend Fricker and Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. 20th Century Fox

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Aside from her role in the 1992 Christmas classic, Fricker has appeared in over 30 films and TV series, including Angels in the Outfield, Albert Nobbs and My Left Foot, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1989.

In 2014, Fricker revealed that it’s unlikely she’ll continue to act following her 2013 role in the Canadian series, Forgive Me.

“I’m semi-retired now,” she said during a talk at the Galway Film Fleadh, according to The Herald. “I’ve been 40 years in the business, so no.”