Glen Hansard died at 56: Once Oscar winner mourned online
The Irish musician, The Frames frontman and Once Oscar winner died in a motorbike crash, with tributes spreading online.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
2 min read
Glen Hansard died at 56 in a motorbike crash, according to reports from Dublin, ending a career that carried him from street busking to an Academy Award.
The Irish musician was best known internationally for Once, John Carney’s 2006 indie romance about a Dublin busker who falls for another musician, played by Markéta Irglová. Hansard, who had busked before fame, starred in the film and performed the duet “Falling Slowly” with Irglová.
How did Glen Hansard die?
Reports said Hansard died in a motorbike crash. No further details about the crash were included in the reported accounts.
Hansard first made his name as the frontman of The Frames. His screen debut came in the 1991 Irish musical dramedy The Commitments, years before Once turned him into a wider international name.
Once became the defining project of Hansard’s career outside Ireland. The film won praise from critics, and “Falling Slowly” earned Hansard and Irglová the Academy Award for best original song.
The partnership did not stop with the film. Hansard and Irglová later formed The Swell Season, a folk band that received a Grammy nomination and toured. Once also lived a second life onstage as a Broadway musical.
What was Glen Hansard known for?
Hansard was known as the voice of The Frames, an actor in The Commitments and Once, and the co-writer and performer of “Falling Slowly.” His career linked Dublin street performance, Irish rock, indie film and Broadway.
The BBC noted another part of Hansard’s public life: his role in the annual Christmas Eve charity busk for the Dublin Simon Community, a fundraiser supporting unhoused people.
Dublin Simon Community paid tribute to him, saying in part: “Glen's talents will indeed be his legacy but so too will his commitment to social justice. We will be forever indebted to him for the difference he made in the lives of the people we serve.”
After news of his death spread, friends and fans shared tributes and memories across social media. Posts honoring his music, film work and charity efforts circulated as listeners returned to the songs and performances that made him a beloved figure.
For many viewers, Hansard’s most familiar screen moment remains Once, where the rough-edged intimacy of “Falling Slowly” helped turn a small Dublin love story into an Oscar-winning success. His later appearance in Cyrano also drew attention for his performance as a singing guard.
Hansard’s work remains available through his films and recordings, including The Commitments, Once, Cyrano, The Frames and The Swell Season.
This story draws on original reporting from Mashable.