No one expects much from Christy Brown, a boy with cerebral palsy born into a working-class Irish family. Though Christy is a spastic quadriplegic and essentially paralyzed, a miraculous event occurs when, at the age of 5, he demonstrates control of his left foot by using chalk to scrawl a word on the floor. With the help of his steely mother — and no shortage of grit and determination — Christy overcomes his infirmity to become a painter, poet and author.

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Cast

Daniel Day-Lewis

Christy Brown

Brenda Fricker

Mrs. Brown

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Alison Whelan

Sheila

Kirsten Sheridan

Sharon

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Declan Croghan

Tom

Eanna MacLiam

Benny

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Marie Conmee

Sadie

Cyril Cusack

Lord Castlewelland

Phelim Drew

Brian

Ruth McCabe

Mary

Daniel Day-Lewis — Christy Brown

Sir Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis (born 29 April 1957) is an English and Irish actor. Often described as one of the greatest actors in the history of cinema, he is best known for intense method acting portrayed with eccentric characters in auteur films. He is the recipient of numerous accolades including a record three Academy Awards for Best Actor as well as four BAFTAs, three Screen Actors Guil

Brenda Fricker — Mrs. Brown

Brenda Fricker (February 17, 1945 – July 17, 2026) was an Irish actress, whose career spanned six decades on stage and screen. She appeared in more than 30 films and television roles. In 1990, she became the first Irish actress to win an Academy Award, earning the award for Best Supporting Actress for the biopic My Left Foot (1989). She also appeared in films such as The Field (1990), Home Alone 2