Carrie Fisher, best known for her iconic role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars franchise, died today after suffering a heart attack a few days ago on a flight from London to Los Angeles, according to THR. She was 60.

Born in Beverly Hills, CA, in 1956, the actress and writer grew up in the spotlight as the child of stars Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher. While she often performed live alongside her mother, Fisher made her big-screen debut at 19 in 1975’s Shampoo starring opposite Warren Beatty. But it was her next film, 1977’s Star War: A New Hope, George Lucas’s unexpected mega-hit scifi adventure that spawned one of the biggest franchises of all time, that led her to become a household name and a role model to little girls — and women — everywhere.