Carrie Fisher Dead: 'Star Wars' Actress And Writer Dies, Aged 60

Film actress Carrie Fisher has died, at the age of 60.

A spokesperson for her daughter, Billie Lourd, confirmed the sad news in a statement on Tuesday (27 December), less than a week after she suffered cardiac arrest on board a flight to Los Angeles.

The statement 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.”

Carrie was best known for her portrayal of Princess Leia in the original ‘Star Wars’ trilogy, a role which she reprised in the seventh instalment in the sci-fi series, ‘The Force Awakens’, released in 2015.

She is also expected to appear in the upcoming eighth film, slated for release at the end of 2017.

In addition to her acting work, she later carved a career for herself as an author, renowned for her memoirs and semi-autobiographical novels, which included ‘Wishful Drinking’ and ‘Postcards From The Edge’, the latter of which was adapted for the big screen in 1990, starring Meryl Streep in the lead role.

Her most recent book, ‘The Princess Diarist’, was released in November.

Last week, Carrie was rushed to hospital after suffering cardiac arrest on board a flight from London to Los Angeles.

Although she was initially reported to have been in “critical condition”, her mother offered an update on Sunday (25 December), insisting that she was “stable”, though was still in an intensive care unit.

Carrie is survived by her daughter, Billie, as well as her mother, fellow actress Debbie Reynolds.