Carrie Fisher has been missed by fans ever since she passed away on December 27, 2016.
The film and stage icon lived a full life, growing up under the intense spotlight as the child of two famous actors and blossoming into a huge career of her own. She got her break as an actress in one of the biggest film franchises of all time, Star Wars, and also worked as a writer and script doctor for many years.
All the while, she remained devoted to her mother Debbie Reynolds and daughter Billie Lourd (not to mention pup Gary Fisher!).
Nine years after Fisher’s death at the age of 60, remember the actress’ unforgettable life and career in photos.
Carrie Fisher’s early life
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In 1958, Carrie Fisher’s father, actor Eddie Fisher, holds Fisher and her younger brother Todd.
Carrie Fisher and mother Debbie Reynolds
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Fisher, then 2 years old, played with her mother, Debbie Reynolds, during the interview.
carrie fisher and family
Tim Boxer/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
In 1973, a teenage Fisher spends the night with her mother, Debbie Reynolds, and her younger brother, Todd, in New York City. When the children were young, their father famously abandoned their mother for Elizabeth Taylor, putting their lives in the spotlight.
Carrie Fisher “Shampoo”
Courtesy of Everett Collection
Fisher speaks on the phone in a scene from the first 1975 film, Shampoo.
Carrie Fisher in 1977
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Carrie Fisher posing, 1977.
carrier fisher and harrison ford
Richard Corkery/New York Daily News Archive (via Getty Images)
Fisher is seen flirting with Star Wars co-star Harrison Ford while promoting the film. Fisher later revealed that the two had a secret relationship on set.
carrie fisher and paul simon
The Life Photo Collection/Getty Images
Fisher and Paul Simon divorced in 1984, but had an on-and-off relationship for several years.
Carrie Fisher in Star Wars
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Fisher wears a suit in a promotional shot for Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.
Carrie Fisher in Star Wars
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Fisher wears Leia’s signature gold bikini in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.
Carrie Fisher in Star Wars
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She also wore the iconic costume in promotional shots for Return of the Jedi.
Carrie Fisher “When Harry Met Sally”
Courtesy of Everett Collection
In a scene from 1989’s When Harry Met Sally, Fisher chats with Bruno Kirby in bed.
Carrie Fisher “Wishful Drinking”
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Carrie Fisher promotes her one-woman show “Wishful Drinking” in Los Angeles in 2006.
Carrie Fisher appears on “30 Rock”
Ann Joyce/NBCU Photobank
Fisher had a cameo on 30 Rock in 2007, playing an alcoholic former television writer.
Carrie Fisher and daughter Billie Lourd
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Billie Lourd, daughter of Carrie Fisher and Hollywood agent Brian Lourd, at the Star Wars: The Force Awakens premiere in December 2015.
carrie fisher and gary fisher
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Fisher attended the red carpet at the European premiere of “The Force Awakens” in London with her dog Gary Fisher.
Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford reunite
Lucasfilm Co., Ltd.
Fisher and Ford hugged in 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
carrier fisher in london
Melmedia/GC Images
Fisher stopped by London’s Chiltern Fire Station on December 15, 2016, during her last public outing, and died of a heart attack on December 27. She was 60 years old.
The next day, her mother Debbie Reynolds passed away at the age of 84.
Billie Lourd mourns her mother
Todd Williamson/Getty
On October 21, which would have been Carrie Fisher’s 68th birthday, her daughter Billie Lourd opened up about her mother’s grief eight years after her death.
“My mother would have turned 68 today. Birthdays for people who have passed away are strange to say the least. Every year on her birthday, I try to celebrate her as much as I can, but today I really wanted to celebrate with her,” Lard wrote on Instagram.
“Some years my grief has made me feel the warmth of my mother’s love, other years I’ve felt angry, and other years I’ve felt numb. But today I woke up just sad. I didn’t want to celebrate, I just wanted my mom,” she continued.
Ms. Fisher’s toxicology report revealed that she died from sleep apnea, atherosclerotic heart disease, and “drug use.” In a heartfelt post, Lard wrote that when reflecting on her mother’s death, she Googled “death by drug overdose.”
“I tried everything I could to help my mother get sober, but sadly she couldn’t escape her addiction,” she revealed. “But throughout her life, she always shared the ups and downs of that struggle with others in the hope that it would help them overcome their own addictions. As an addict, being open about your struggle is the only way.”
She concluded, “And the same goes for those of us who have been affected by that struggle. Sending love to those who have lost someone to drug addiction. You are not alone. ❤️.”
