The number of people in this newsroom who have Star Wars memorabilia and/or tattoos speaks to how sad we are to confirm the reason Carrie Fisher started trending on Twitter a little while ago: The amazing woman perhaps known best for the role of Princess Leia died today — Tuesday, Dec. 27 — following a heart attack on Dec. 23.
She was 60, which was way too soon.
Not only Star Wars royalty, Fisher was Hollywood royalty as well: Her father, pop singer Eddie Fisher, had 32 hits, including "Oh My Papa" and "Lady of Spain"; his five marriages before his death over six years ago included Elizabeth Taylor and Carrie Fisher's mother, Debbie Reynolds. Reynolds, who survives her daughter, enjoyed a healthy film and music career.
Carrie Fisher openly discussed her battles with mental illness and addiction. Earlier this year Harvard awarded her a Lifetime Achievement Award for her cultural humanitarianism.
Aside from Star Wars, Fisher's body of work included a strong performance opposite Bruno Kirby in When Harry Met Sally, featured roles in films with Woody Allen and Warren Beatty, appearances on 30 Rock, Frasier, Smallville, Weeds, The Big Bang Theory... the list seems to stretch out forever. In addition, Fisher also was in demand as a script doctor and was an acclaimed author of, among other books, Wishful Drinking, The Princess Diarist and Postcards from the Edge, a semi-autobiographical novel inspired by her relationship with Reynolds that Fisher adapted for the 1990 film of the same name starring Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine.
At the risk of sounding trite, may the Force be with you, Leia.
