Skip to main content

Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher dead at 60

Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher passed away Tuesday morning at the age of 60, according to a statement from her family.

Fisher had been hospitalized following a “cardiac episode” that occurred during a flight from London to Los Angeles on Friday. She was previously listed in stable condition, with her brother reporting that she was “out of emergency” to the Associated Press on Friday evening. Her only child, Billie Lourd, confirmed Fisher’s death in a statement.

Recommended Videos

“It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning,” read the statement, which was obtained by People Magazine.

“She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly,” added Lourd. “Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers.”

The actress, who rose to international fame for her portrayal of Princess Leia Organa in the iconic Star Wars franchise, reportedly stopped breathing during United Airlines Flight 935 on December 23, with an EMT on the flight administering CPR until paramedics arrived. An anonymous source told the Los Angeles Times that Fisher was “in a lot of distress on the flight.”

Fisher was taken to UCLA Medical Center, where she was placed on a ventilator.

The daughter of two stars of the 1950s — actress Debbie Reynolds and songwriter Eddie Fisher — Fisher drew on her unique childhood in her portrayal of Princess Leia. Her mother went through a number of highly publicized divorces, and her father struggled with substance abuse issues. Fisher herself struggled with bipolar disorder and drug abuse, problems about which she was extremely open in her later years.

Apart from her work in the Star Wars canon, including the latest episodic installment, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, she appeared in numerous hits, including When Harry Met Sally, The ‘Burbs, and The Blues Brothers. Fisher was in the middle of a book tour for The Princess Diarist, a memoir she penned that was released in November. She also wrote four novels and two other memoirs.

Famed Star Wars actor Mark Hamill was among the many stars hoping for the best following Fisher’s hospitalization this weekend:

News of Fisher’s death has already sparked a flood of support from fans and former cast mates.

I'm deeply saddened to learn of the death of Carrie Fisher. I will miss our banterings. A wonderful talent & light has been extinguished.

— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) December 27, 2016

.@CarriefFisher was a brilliant writer, actor, and friend. She was so much fun. I can't believe she's gone. https://t.co/wpxGvBWA0b

— Ellen DeGeneres (@EllenDeGeneres) December 27, 2016

Parker Hall
Former Senior Writer, Home Theater/Music
Parker Hall is a writer and musician from Portland, OR. He is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Oberlin…
Christopher Nolan got the tonal balance exactly right on Batman Begins
Batman gliding down a stairwell in Batman Begins.

It's been 20 years since Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins first hit theaters, and in that time, the superhero movie has evolved dramatically. The entire Marvel Cinematic Universe came after Batman Begins, as did Ben Affleck's version of Batman. Given all of that new history, you might think that Batman Begins would look a bit quaint by modern standards, the same way that Tim Burton's Batman remains an interesting movie as a new generation was indoctrinated by Nolan.

What's more, Nolan's Batman movies have developed a reputation as the trilogy that proved that you could take superheroes seriously. They spawned an entire generation of fans who would get upset when it felt like the characters they loved weren't being treated with the kind of weight they deserved. That's basically the entire project of Zack Snyder's DC Extended Universe, which is now about to be wiped off the map by yet another version of DC.

Read more
3 great action movies on Tubi you need to watch in June
Sylvester Stallone and Sandra Bullock in Demolition Man.

If you haven't downloaded Tubi, what are you waiting for? As a FAST service, Tubi is free. You read that correctly. Tubi is a free service that offers hundreds of movies and television shows at no cost to the consumer. The quality of movies is better than expected. Jaws, Memento, Air, the Great Escape, and On the Waterfront are all on Tubi.

Tubi's action genre remains one of its best. If you need some recommendations, we have you covered. One of our picks this month is Demolition Man, a 1993 sci-fi movie with a legendary action hero. Read our picks below.

Read more
3 rom-coms on Netflix you need to watch in June 2025
A woman and a man sit at a bar.

You can never have enough romance in your life, especially when watching movies. The rom-com is a lost art in theaters. However, Netflix is dedicated to keeping the rom-com alive with its wide selection of delightful movies. The Life List, Set It Up, Love at First Sight, The Kissing Booth, and To All The Boys I've Loved Before are all Netflix originals.

Add one of our picks, The Perfect Date, to the list of movies you need to watch this month. Noah Centineo has carved out a role in Netflix lore as a leading man for the streamer. Learn more about The Perfect Date and our two other recommendations below.

Read more