Rachel Zegler is among the many voices mourning Glen Hansard following the news of his passing on July 29. The Irish singer-songwriter and Oscar winner died on Wednesday at age 56 after a single-vehicle motorcycle crash in Lucan, Dublin, according to a statement from his management.
Zegler shared a carousel of photos with Hansard on Instagram, writing simply, “oh i will love you forever. rest now, my friend.” The carousel shows the two both on and off stage, sharing both candid and professional shots of them together. In the last photo, Zegler shared a screenshot of texts from March 2024, when they first performed together. Hansard called Zegler “the real thing.”
A Friendship and Mentorship
Zegler and Hansard’s bond traces back to a memorable performance together back in April. She joined him as a special guest at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City to sing a duet of the Oscar-winning song “Falling Slowly.” Hansard co-wrote the song with Markéta Irglová for the 2007 film “Once.”
Zegler has expressed deep gratitude to Hansard for helping her find her voice and opening his world to her as a young artist. The “West Side Story” and Disney’s recent live-action “Snow White” star is well-known for her voice across stage and screen. Her collaboration and relationship with Hansard is another way she explored music and performance as an art form.
They first shared the stage together in March 2024, where she and the Irish folk singer shared an impromptu performance. She described it as a healing musical moment with her friend and hero.
The tribute closes a short but clearly meaningful chapter shared between the two artists. Though they came from very different professional worlds, it is a reminder of the unifying power of music.
Remembered Widely Across Generations
Zegler wasn’t alone in expressing her grief publicly. Bruce Springsteen, who had performed alongside Hansard and covered his music in the past, called him a great musician and a generous and gracious man. Actor Chris O’Dowd, Waterboys musician Mike Scott, and Andrea Corr of The Corrs were among many other artists who shared tributes. Irish political leaders also acknowledged his cultural impact on the country and the world.
Hansard is survived by his wife, poet Maire Saaritsa, and their young son, Christy. Hansard had recently announced a tour of Ireland set for this October and November, a bittersweet reminder of an artist whose creative momentum had no signs of slowing down.
Hansard was born in Dublin and left school at 13 years old to busk on the city’s streets. He formed The Frames, the Irish rock band that would kickstart his career, in 1990. He gained wider recognition the following year playing Outspan Foster in “The Commitments,” Alan Parker’s BAFTA-winning film about a scrappy Dublin soul band. Music remained his true focus throughout his career, but “Once” changed everything.
The film’s stripped-down, handheld style and real-life romance between Hansard and Irglová’s characters became a sleeper hit. When “Falling Slowly” won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2008, Hansard was stunned. “What are we doing here? This is mad,” he told the audience in one of the ceremony’s more unscripted moments.
