Glen Hansard, who starred in the film Once and won an Oscar for a song from that film, died in a motorcycle accident on Wednesday. He was 56 years old.
The accident was a single-vehicle crash just outside Dublin, Ireland, Hansard's home, in a village called Lucan. According to the Associated Press, the accident occurred around 4:30 am local time, and Hansard was treated at the scene but died a short time later.
The singer-songwriter might best be remembered for his acting roles as well as his musical career.
Singer-songwriter Glen Hansard dies in a motorocycle accident
He starred in Once, a film about an Irish street musician, played by Hansard, and his relationship with a young immigrant from Czechia, played by Markéta Irglová. The two created music together, and Hansard's exquisitely played the character who wanted more from the relationship than was meant to be.
The acting performances were fantastic, but what sets the film apart is the music, which was entirely written by Hansard and Irglová. Both musicians were able to perform moving and riveting songs in the film, emotionally charging the film with brilliance and perfection.
The song "Falling Slowly" won the Oscar for Best Song in 2008, but was only one of many excellent tracks from the movie. But Hansard was far more than Once, too.
He also played a role as a member of the band featured in 1991's The Commitments. The movie follows a music manager who forms a group of untrained musicians from Dublin, and the band sees a sudden rise in popularity. How they cope with that drives the film forward.
His solo career included five studio albums, the last coming in 2023. 2015's Didn't He Ramble was nominated for the Best Folk Album Grammy in 2016.
Glen Hansard is also well-known for being part of the rock duo Swell Season, which released four albums, one of which was the soundtrack to Once. He also released eight albums with his first commercial group, the Frames.
Hansard began as a busker on Dublin streets and became popular due to his epic song structures as well as a soulful voice that allowed him to convey emotion easily. He not only turned out gems of his own making, but his covers were brilliant, too. That includes a rendition of "Fairytale of New York," which he performed at the funeral for Pogues founder Shane MacGowan in 2023.
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