Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher has died at the age of 60 after a massive heart attack on a flight from London to Los Angeles last week. Fisher was most well known for her portrayal of Princess Leia in the Star Wars movies and was viewed as royalty within the Star Wars community.
The news of her death was released by family spokesperson Simon Halls on behalf of Fisher’s daughter Billie Lourd.
“It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning,” says the statement released to People Magazine.
“She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly,” says Lourd. “Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers.”
The daughter of Hollywood star Debbie Reynolds and pop star Eddie Fisher, Fisher grew up in the world of entertainment before eventually jumping right into the spotlight of it when she took on the role of Princess Leia in Star Wars. She went on to appear in many films during the 80s, including When Harry Met Sally in which she appeared with Tom Hanks.
Offscreen, Fisher also was an author and also performed in one-woman shows about her life. Known as one of the top script doctors in Hollywood she helped with the screenplays for Hook, Sister Act, The Wedding Singer and Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
Fisher also was known to deal with mental illness and addiction, which she did not shy away from when in her book and show Wishful Drinking. In these she shared about her struggles with bipolar disorder and also drinking.
While never completely out of the spotlight, her star had brightened in recent years with the return of Princess Leia Organa in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. She also recently had been on a book tour for her new book The Princess Diarist, a memoir that drew from her old notebooks and diaries. Fisher is also set to appear in Star Wars: Episode VIII in perhaps what will be her final appearance on screen.
Fisher is survived by her daughter Billie Lourd, her mother Debbie Reynolds, and her beloved dog Gary.
