Iconic 'Star Wars' actress Carrie Fisher dies at 60

Star Wars icon Carrie Fisher has died at 60 years old, The Associated Press confirms.

Family spokesman Simon Halls released a statement on behalf of Fisher's daughter, Billie Lourd, to People magazine.

"It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning," reads the statement.

"She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly. Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers."

Multiple news outlets reported Friday that the star suffered cardiac arrest on a United Airlines flight from London to Los Angeles as it prepared to land at LAX. The Los Angeles Fire Department said paramedics were there when the plane landed and "provided Advanced Life Support and aggressively treated and transported the patient to a local hospital." Her brother, Todd Fisher, told reporters that his sister was in the Intensive Care Unit.

Carrie Frances Fisher was born October 21, 1956 to Hollywood actor Debbie Reynolds and singer Eddie Fisher.

Best known for her role as Princess Leia in the original "Star Wars" trilogy starting in 1977, the character that propelled her into fame.

In the '80s, Fisher battled addictions to alcohol and drugs, which she wrote about in her first book, 1987's "Postcards from the Edge." The successful, semi-autobiographical novel is about an actress addicted to drugs. It was made into a movie in 1990 for which Fisher wrote the screenplay. Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine starred in the film.

Carrie Fisher talked to KIRO 7 News in 1990 about “Postcards From the Edge.”

"I want them. I don't think you ever just walk away from them," Fisher said about getting clean. "Whoever I was when I took drugs, I'm not very much different emotionally from that person. I'm more in the habitat of not doing it, but I still want to do it."

"I like the community of filmmaking, and that's fun, but I do get more control [when writing]. I can produce if I write, I can't necessarily when I act," she told KIRO 7 News.

Fisher has also had success as a script consultant for multiple movies, revising scripts for "Sister Act" and "The Wedding Singer."

In 2008, Fisher released "Wishful Drinking," an autobiographical book in which she wrote more about her struggles with addiction and mental illness. It was turned into a one-woman stage play starring Fisher and aired on HBO.

In a 2015 interview with Diane Sawyer, Fisher publicly revealed her struggles with manic depression, a chemical disorder also known as bipolar disorder.

Fisher returned to the "Star Wars" franchise in 2015's Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens. She just finished shooting Star Wars: Episode VIII.

Seattle's Emerald City Comicon listed Carrie Fisher as an entertainment guest for its 2017 con.

"We are heartbroken over the news about Carrie. She had a powerful impact on our culture and today we celebrate her life and career. We love her, and we are sure that she knows," the con wrote on its Facebook page.

Fisher is survived by her daughter, Billie Catherine Lourd, from a previous relationship with agent Bryan Lourd.

Iconic 'Star Wars' actress Carrie Fisher dies at 60

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