R.I.P. Glen Hansard, Oscar-winning songwriter of “Falling Slowly” from Once

Born into a working-class household in Dublin, Hansard first picked up a guitar when the uncle the instrument belonged to was sent to prison, according to the Times. He began performing as a busker on the streets of Dublin and formed The Frames in 1990. He quickly took a film role in The Commitments, though he later told the Times he was “a real believer in sticking to your craft” and unsure about acting again. In an interview with this site in 2009, he said he was offered the role of Rorschach in Watchmen, but was too busy with his Oscar run-up to accept—though he was very tempted.

Hansard’s breakthrough stateside came in 2007 as Guy in Once, a role that allowed him to both act and stick to his craft. Reviewing the movie for this site in 2007, Nathan Rabin opined that Once is “just about perfect” and called Hansard’s performance “stunning,” writing, “this ingratiatingly scruffy, slice-of-working-class-life treasure is brave enough to be quiet and restrained, yet littered with moments of transcendence, musical and otherwise.” The song “Falling Slowly” was a hit in the United States, Ireland, and Canada. Accepting his Academy Award, Hansard memorably ended his speech with “Make art!” 

After Once, Hansard and Irglová continued to perform as a duo, The Swell Season, covering Neutral Milk Hotel for A.V. Undercover in 2010 and releasing the album Forward in 2025. Hansard contributed music to several other films through the rest of his life, including Sing Street, Flag Day, and Cyrano. He is survived by his wife, Finnish poet Maire Saairtsa, and their three-year-old son Christy.