Actress and author Carrie Fisher, beloved for her iconic role as Princess Leia in Star Wars and semi-autobiographical books like Postcards from the Edge, died Tuesday. She was 60.
Fisher suffered a heart attack last week while flying from London to Los Angeles, and her death was confirmed by a family spokesman. The daughter of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, Carrie Fisher grew up in Hollywood, making her acting debut at age 15 alongside her mother in the Broadway musical Irene. In addition to her roles in several Star Wars films, Fisher appeared in Hannah and Her Sisters, When Harry Met Sally, Soapdish, and Shampoo.
After Postcards from the Edge was published in 1987, it was adapted for the big screen, with Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine starring in the 1990 film. She also turned her memoir Wishful Drinking into a one-woman play. In March, HBO will air a documentary about her life titled Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds.
She is survived by her mother; daughter Billie Lourd; brother Todd Fisher; half-sisters Joely Fisher and Tricia Leigh Fisher; and her French bulldog, Gary, who accompanied her everywhere.