Fisher passed away on Wednesday morning (December 27) in Los Angeles, and a family representative confirmed her death to People Magazine. “She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly,” her daughter Billie Lourd, said in a statement. Fisher’s health was said to be stable on Christmas Day, following a cardiac arrest on a flight from London to Los Angeles 15 minutes before landing. She was then rushed to a nearby hospital upon arrival.
Fisher had been in London filming for the third season of sitcom Catastrophe. She will also be present in next December’s Star Wars: Episode VIII, reprising her role from the original trilogy, as she did in last year’s Episode VII: The Force Awakens. She also lent her voice to the video game Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens released this year.
Fisher was born to singer Eddie Fisher and actress Debbie Reynolds in California, and moved to London to study the arts. Her first role was in 1975’s Shampoo alongside Warren Beatty. The Star Wars films served as a breakout role for the then 19-year-old Fisher, the first of which – 1977’s Star Wars, colloquially known as Episode IV: A New Hope – was only her second feature film. She would return to the famous role in later chapters, for 1981’s Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, and 1983’s Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi.
