'Star Wars' actress Carrie Fisher dies at 60 following heart attack

The American actress was enjoying a new turn in the spotlight with a tour promoting her latest memoir and a reprisal of her star-making role in last year's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

Fisher was returning from the London leg of a book tour on Friday when she collapsed 15 minutes before landing in Los Angeles.

"It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning," family spokesman Simon Halls said in a statement Tuesday on behalf of Fisher's daughter, given to People magazine.

Her “Star Wars” co-star Mark Hamill, who played her twin brother Luke Skywalker, tweeted just three words in response to the news of her death: “No words. Devastated.”

no words #Devastated pic.twitter.com/R9Xo7IBKmh

— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) December 27, 2016

Born in Los Angeles in October 1956, Fisher was catapulted to worldwide stardom as rebel warrior Princess Leia in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, which has been a worldwide cultural phenomenon since the release of the films from 1977 to 1983.

Asked at a news conference last year what she remembered of her scenes in "Return of the Jedi", she recalled having fun killing Leia's jailer, Jabba the Hutt.

"They asked me on the day if I wanted to have a stunt double kill Jabba. No! That's the best time I ever had as an actor," she said.

"And the only reason to go into acting is if you can kill a giant monster."

Fisher's mother was movie star Debbie Reynolds, best known for her leading role in "Singin' In The Rain", and her father was singer Eddie Fisher. Her parents' marriage came to an end when Fisher left Reynolds for actress Elizabeth Taylor, who was Reynolds' close friend.