Christy Brown
The protagonist of the film is the real-life historical figure Christy Brown who was born with a case of cerebral palsy so severe that the only part of his body over which he could exert any autonomous control was the titular left foot. Using just that one single appendage, Brown was able to write and paint with such flair that he became another addition to the list of legendary Irish creative artists.
Bridget Brown
Bridget Brown is Christy’s fiercely loyal mum who never sacrifices her belief in the special qualities of her afflicted son even when communication seems impossible. She is the bedrock of his life and the one constant feminine presence in the movie upon whom he can always count.
Patrick Brown
Christy’s father requires proof that his son is going to be more than a lifelong drain on the family before he is ready to fully commit his love, but once that proof comes, he is—in his way paternal way—equally fierce in his love and loyalty to his son. For much of the first part of the film, he is the iconic jerk with a heart a gold, but that golden heart beats furiously once it becomes clear that Christy is, in Patrick’s own words, “a genius.”
Eileen Cole
Unlike most of the other characters in the drama, Eileen Cole is not an actual historical figure, but is rather a composite of several different caregivers who assisted Christy over the years. Two of the people represented in the compositing of Eileen are Robert Collis and Patrician Sheehan. In addition the caregivers, however, Eileen Cole also fulfils the role of compositing the women for whom Christy was romantically or sexually attracted over the years who rejected those feelings in place of a Platonic sort of love. This allows Eileen and her fiancé to fuel the rage against Platonic love which becomes one of the most dramatic moments in the film.
Mary Carr
Unlike Eileen, the woman who eventually does succumb to Christy’s romantic overtures late in the film actually did exist. Mary Carr first meets Christy in the role of nurse, but that professional relationship soon blossoms into a romance which climaxes with Mary becoming Christy’s wife, although that aspect of their life together is not covered in the film.
