Her daughter Billie Lourd's publicist released a statement saying: "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."

Fisher was the daughter of Debbie Reynolds and the singer Eddie Fisher, and shot to stardom on the release of Star Wars in 1977. She was also a writer who mined her personal struggles for material, particularly in her screenplay for Postcards from the Edge, which starred Meryl Streep and dealt with issues of mental health and addiction. ...