Carrie Fisher, an actress and writer most famous for portraying Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy, has died at the age of 60, as People reports. The cause of death was not announced, though Fisher was recently hospitalized at the UCLA Medical Center after suffering a massive heart attack on a December 23 flight from London to Los Angeles. According to a new TMZ report, Fisher never regained consciousness before passing away today in the hospital.
A statement issued to People on behalf of Fisher’s daughter, actress Billie Lourd, reads:
“It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning. She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly. Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers.”
Some of Fisher’s other beloved roles include turns in When Harry Met Sally, Hannah and Her Sisters, The Blues Brothers, Shampoo, 30 Rock, and recent Channel 4/Amazon series Catastrophe. Fisher, who was outspoken about her mental health problem and recurring struggles with drug addiction, wrote four novels, including Postcards from the Edge, which was adapted into a 1990 movie starring Meryl Streep. Her 2008 one-woman show and autobiography Wishful Drinking was made into a documentary by HBO in 2010, and she published a sequel, Shockaholic, in 2011.
Fisher reprised her role of Leia Organa in last year’s Star Wars film The Force Awakens, and was slated to appear in its upcoming sequel, Episode VIII and Episode IX, as well. This year, Fisher published a tell-air memoir, The Princess Diarist. Fisher, at the majority of her public appearances of the past few years, was accompanied by her beloved French bulldog, Gary.
