Glen Hansard, the Irish musician who starred in the 2007 film “Once” and won the best original song Oscar for “Falling Slowly,” died on Wednesday in a motorcycle crash. He was 56.
According to the BBC, Hansard was killed in a single-vehicle crash in his home city of Dublin on Wednesday morning. The accident was reported to emergency services around 4:30 a.m. and police are now calling for witnesses.
ATC Management, which represented Hansard, said in a statement (via the BBC): “With broken hearts we announce the passing of Glen Hansard who passed away, in the early hours of this morning, following a road traffic accident in Dublin. Glen’s family is deeply shocked and heartbroken by this tragic loss and respectfully requests privacy at this extremely difficult time. The family is grateful for the support they have received and wishes to thank the emergency services who attended the scene.”
Hansard was known as part of the Irish rock band the Frames and folk duo Swell Season. In 2007, he starred alongside his Swell Season bandmate, Czech singer Markéta Irglová, in the low-budget musical drama “Once.” The critically acclaimed film, written and directed by John Carney, follows two struggling musicians in Dublin who fall in love. Hansard and Irglová performed together as the folk band Swell Season, and composed and performed all of the movie’s original music. The film’s breakout duet, “Falling Slowly,” won them the Oscar for best original song at the 80th Academy Awards. A Broadway adaptation of the film later won eight Tonys, including best musical.
Born and raised in Dublin, Hansard quit school at 13 to begin busking and formed the Frames in 1990. The next year, he gained international attention as guitarist Outspan Foster in the BAFTA-winning musical film “The Commitments,” which follows a young musician in North Dublin who assembles a soul band of working-class kids. Hansard focused on recording music with the Frames — releasing seven albums between 1991 and 2006 — until starring in 2007’s “Once,” which further raised his profile.
As a solo artist, he toured with Eddie Vedder in 2011 and released his first solo studio album, “Rhythm and Repose,” in 2012 via Anti Records. His next album, 2015’s “Didn’t He Ramble,” earned a Grammy nomination for best folk album. He went on to release three more solo albums: “Between Two Shores” (2018), “This Wild Willing” (2019) and “All That Was East Is West of Me Now” (2023). In 2025, he released another Swell Season album with Irglová, titled “Forward.”
Though Hansard did not lead another feature after “Once,” he continued to work in TV and film. He recorded a cover of Bob Dylan’s “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” for Todd Haynes’ “I’m Not There” in 2007, voiced an Irish busker in a 2008 episode of “The Simpsons,” made a documentary about Swell Season with Irglová in 2011, played himself in a 2012 episode of “Parenthood,” appeared on a 2016 episode of the series “The Last Man on Earth” titled “Falling Slowly” and contributed to the soundtrack for Sean Penn’s 2021 film “Flag Day.” Most recently, he made a cameo in “Once” director Carney’s latest movie “Power Ballad,” starring Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas, which released in May.
In April, Hansard played a sold-out show at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom, where he brought out “Snow White” star Rachel Zegler to sing “Falling Slowly.” Zegler posted a tribute to Hansard on Instagram with a video of their performance, writing: “Oh I will love you forever.”
Hansard is survived by his partner, the poet Maire Saaritsa, and their 3-year-old son.