Glen Hansard dies at 56 after Dublin motorcycle crash
Glen Hansard, the Irish musician and Once star who won an Oscar for Falling Slowly, died in a single-vehicle crash in Dublin.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
2 min read
Glen Hansard dies at 56 after a motorcycle crash in Dublin, according to reports from Variety and the BBC, ending a career that linked Irish rock, indie film and Oscar-night glory.
The Irish musician was killed Wednesday in a single-vehicle crash in his home city, the BBC reported. Emergency services were alerted to the accident at about 4:30 a.m., according to the broadcaster.
Hansard was widely known as the frontman of the Irish rock band The Frames. He also reached a global film audience through the 2007 musical drama Once, in which he starred opposite Markéta Irglová, Variety reported.
The film’s signature duet, “Falling Slowly,” won the Academy Award for best original song. Hansard and Irglová shared the Oscar for the track, which became the breakout song from the low-budget movie.
How did Glen Hansard die?
According to the BBC, Hansard died in a single-vehicle motorcycle crash in Dublin on Wednesday. The crash was reported to emergency services around 4:30 a.m.
No further details about the circumstances of the crash were included in the BBC report cited by Variety.
What was Glen Hansard best known for?
Hansard was best known in music as the lead singer of The Frames, the Irish rock band he fronted. In film, he was best known for Once, the 2007 low-budget musical drama that paired him with Markéta Irglová.
Once centered its public breakthrough on the song “Falling Slowly,” performed by Hansard and Irglová. The song went on to win best original song at the Oscars.
The role made Hansard familiar beyond Ireland’s music scene, tying his name to a film that found a much larger audience through its music. Variety described him as both an Irish musician and the star of Once.
Key facts
- Glen Hansard died Wednesday at age 56, Variety reported.
- The BBC reported he was killed in a single-vehicle motorcycle crash in Dublin.
- Emergency services were contacted around 4:30 a.m., according to the BBC.
- Hansard fronted the Irish rock band The Frames.
- He starred with Markéta Irglová in the 2007 musical drama Once.
- “Falling Slowly,” their duet from the film, won the Oscar for best original song.
Variety said more information was still to come in its initial report.
This story draws on original reporting from Variety.