Because 2016 just hadn’t crushed us enough…

Carrie Fisher, best known for her role as Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy and the recent sequel, The Force Awakens, has passed away. She suffered a heart attack on December 23, while on a flight from London to Los Angeles. She was 60 years old.

In addition to acting, Fisher was a prolific Hollywood writer, known for her sharp wit and quick tongue. She was touring the nation, promoting her new book, The Princess Diarist, which was made up of her journal entries during the filming of Star Wars.

She was open about her struggles with her weight during Star Wars and her later addictions with drugs and alcohol. Her book (and screenplay) Postcards from the Edge, are a semi-autobiographical look into her life.

Fisher’s take on Leia created a whole new archetype of a tough woman in Science Fiction. Not quite the damsel in distress, she was a strong leader that gave a generation of geek women someone to look up to (and geek men to admire).

She is now one with the Force, but we will never forget her.

[Update] Sadly, a day after Fisher’s death, her mother, Hollywood legend, Debbie Reynolds has also passed away. She suffered a stroke while at her son Todd Fisher’s home while planning Carrie’s funeral. She was 84 years old.

Reynolds was a fixture of Hollywood musicals in the 50’s and 60’s and starred alongside Gene Kelley in the classic Singin’ in the Rain. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her portrayal of Molly Brown in the film version of the musical, The Unsinkable Molly Brown.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Fisher family.

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