The Irish musician and actor Glen Hansard, who starred in the hit indie 2007 film Once and won the Best Original Song Oscar for writing that movie’s “Falling Slowly,” died early today in a motorcycle crash in Dublin. He was 56.
His death was announced by his management company in a statement.
“With broken hearts, we announce the passing of Glen Hansard, who passed away in the early hours of this morning, following a road traffic accident in Dublin,” the statement read. “Glen’s family is deeply shocked and heartbroken by this tragic loss and respectfully requests privacy at this extremely difficult time. The family is grateful for the support they have received and wishes to thank the emergency services who attended the scene.”
The Local police force in Ireland is currently appealing for witnesses following the incident, which has been described as a single-vehicle crash, according to the BBC.
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Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, Hansard began his career busking on the streets of the Irish capital before forming the rock band The Frames in 1990. Hansard was also one half of the rock duo The Swell Season alongside his Once co-star Marketa Irglova.
The musical romance drama Once tells the story of an Irish busker, a Czech immigrant and their eventful week in Dublin as they write, rehearse and record songs that tell their love story. The pair’s duet Falling Slowly won the Academy Award. The film was adapted into a hit Broadway musical, which won eight Tony Awards in 2012, including Best Musical, Best Actor and Best Book.
Hansard also released several solo albums, including Didn’t He Ramble, which was nominated for the Best Folk Album Grammy in 2016.
In a statement on X, Ireland’s prime minister Micheál Martin said he was “deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Glen Hansard.”
Martin described Hansard as “A talented musician and actor who made a significant contribution to Ireland’s cultural landscape over many years.”
The statement ended: “My sincere sympathies to his family, friends, and fans.”
As an actor, Hansard made his film debut in a small role in 1991’s The Commitments and later, among other credits, voiced the character of an Irish man in a 2006 episode of The Simpsons.
