SAN DIEGO - Comic-Con International in San Diego paid tribute to actress, screenwriter and author Carrie Fisher, known the world over for her iconic role as Princess Leia in the "Star Wars" films, after her death Tuesday.
Fisher died at 8:55 a.m. at UCLA Medical Center, four days after suffering a heart attack aboard a flight from London to Los Angeles. She was 60.
The news of Fisher's death was confirmed by Fisher's only child, 24-year-old actress Billie Lourd, via her publicist.
Comic-Con's Facebook page included photos of Fisher's 2015 appearance at the annual celebration of the popular arts at the San Diego Convention to promote the film "Star Wars: Episode VII-The Force Awakens."
"We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Carrie Fisher, beloved actress, writer and advocate," a posted Facebook message said. "Our heartfelt thoughts are with her family and friends in this moment and we know that the Force will be with her always. RIP 1956-2016."
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A post on the Comic-Con Twitter account read: "Known to us first as Princess Leia in Star Wars, Carrie Fisher was an successful actress, writer and fierce advocate. She will be missed RIP."
Fisher also made a public appearance in the San Diego area five years ago to cut the ribbon on the "Star Wars" miniland exhibit at Legoland California in Carlsbad.
In her statement, Lourd said, "She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly. Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers."
Fisher's mother, Hollywood icon Debbie Reynolds, issued a statement via Facebook.
"Thank you to everyone who has embraced the gifts and talents of my beloved and amazing daughter," she said. "I am grateful for your thoughts and prayers that are now guiding her to the next stop."
Fisher was stricken in the last minutes of the 11-hour flight on Friday and was tended by nurse passengers aboard the plane, which was met by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics. They performed advanced life-saving measures before rushing her to the hospital. She reportedly never regained consciousness.
Fisher was well-loved in Hollywood, where stars, including her "Star Wars" co-star Mark Hamill, responded on Twitter with an outpouring of condolences upon news of her death.
Hamill tweeted "no words. #Devastated," above a photo of the two of them in the first "Star Wars" movie.
Anthony Daniels, who played C-3PO in the "Star Wars" films, tweeted: "I thought I had got what I wanted under the tree. I didn't. ... I am very, very sad."
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Billy Dee Williams, who played Lando Calrissian in the "Star Wars" franchise, said he was "deeply saddened at the news of Carrie's passing. She was a dear friend, whom I greatly respected and admired. The force is dark today!"
Seth MacFarlane, who worked with Fisher on the animated series "Family Guy," described her as "smart, funny, talented, surprising, and always a hell of a fun time to be around. 'Family Guy' will miss her immensely."
Walt Disney Co. Chairman and CEO Bob Iger called Fisher "one-of-a-kind, a true character who shared her talent and her truth with us all with her trademark wit and irreverence."
"Millions fell in love with her as the indomitable Princess Leia; she will always have a special place in the hearts of 'Star Wars' fans as well as all of us who were lucky enough to know her personally," Iger said.
Director Steven Spielberg said: "I have always stood in awe of Carrie. Her observations always made me laugh and gasp at the same time. She didn't need The Force. She was a force of nature, of loyalty and of friendship. I will miss her very much."
Fisher reprised her role as Princess Leia in the 2015 film "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." She pioneered the character in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, the first film of which was released in 1977.
Fisher was stricken while en route home for the holidays after touring to promote her latest book, "The Princess Diarist." While in London, she also filmed episodes for the Amazon Prime series "Catastrophe," where she played the mother of one of the characters.
The actress, whose father was the late singer-actor Eddie Fisher, was briefly married to singer Paul Simon in the 1980s. Her daughter was fathered by talent agent Bryan Lourd.
As the child of Hollywood royalty, Fisher's childhood was anything but ordinary, and she drew on her experiences in her semiautobiographical novels, including "Postcards From the Edge," which was made into a movie based on her screenplay.
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Fisher openly discussed being bipolar and her struggles with cocaine and prescription medication abuse, memorialized in her memoir, "Wishful Drinking," which was adapted from her one-woman stage play of the same name.
She authored a total of eight books. Her latest, "The Princess Diarist," made headlines when it was released in November for its disclosure that she had an affair with then-married actor Harrison Ford during filming of the original "Star Wars."
In addition to "Star Wars," Fisher appeared in such films as "The Blues Brothers," "The Man with One Red Shoe," "Hannah and Her Sisters," "The 'Burbs," "When Harry Met Sally," "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" and "Fanboys."
On "Family Guy," Fisher was the voice of Peter Griffin's brewery boss, Angela.
