New Delhi, July 18 -- Brenda Fricker, the acclaimed Irish actor who became the first Irish woman to win an Academy Award for acting, has died at the age of 81.

Fricker died on Thursday in Dublin. Her death was confirmed by her agent, Phil Belfield, to the BBC on Friday.

Paying tribute, Belfield said, "We will never see her like again and the world is lesser for the lack of her. I was honored to know, love and work with her and she will always have a place in my heart and in the heart of so many film and TV fans the world over."

Fricker's career spanned more than five decades across film, television and theatre, earning her widespread recognition for her ability to portray emotionally complex and deeply human characters. She achieved in...