A few days ago, the world was shocked to learn of the news that Carrie Fisher had suffered a heart attack while aboard an airplane, and had been rushed to a hospital. Follow-up reports that have come out since saying that the actress was in stable condition, but we have now learned that her condition took a turn for the worse. Carrie Fisher, best known for playing Princess Leia Organa in the original Star Wars trilogy and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, has passed away at the age of 60.
People has reported the death of the beloved actress, receiving a statement from family spokesperson Simon Halls. It said,
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.
The daughter of entertainers Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, Carrie Fisher was born into the world of showbusiness and made her acting debut at the age of 13 - appearing alongside her mother as a Girl Scout in the 1969 television special Debbie Reynolds and the Sound of Children. Six years later she made her big screen debut as Lorna in Hal Ashby's Shampoo - appearing alongside Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, Goldie Hawn, and more.
But, as everyone knows, it was her second feature that would completely change her life. Joining a small group of actors including Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Alec Guiness, a 19-year-old Fisher signed on to star in a weird sci-fi movie called Star Wars, helmed by an unknown writer/director named George Lucas. Of course, it wound up one of the most successful blockbusters to ever be released, and completely altered the pop culture landscape forever. In the process, Carrie Fisher and her character, Princess Leia, immediately became cinematic icons.
Carrie Fisher went on to star in three more Star Wars movies, the most recent being 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but she had a fantastic career outside of the sci-fi saga as well. Her filmography, which features more than 50 titles across film and television, is filled with fantastic material and great collaborations with genius filmmakers - including Woody Allen's Hannah And Her Sisters, Joe Dante's The 'Burbs, John Landis' Blues Brothers and Rob Reiner's When Harry Met Sally. Her most recently released work was on the Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens video game - where she provided the voice for Princess Leia - but she also completed her work on Rian Johnson's Star Wars: Episode VIII - which will be in theaters next December.
As fans of Carrie Fisher for decades, we here at Cinema Blend have been hit hard by the news of her passing, and our thoughts and prayers are with her family and personal friends. She will be deeply missed.
