Carrie Fisher wanted her obit to read she 'drowned in moonlight, strangled by her own bra'

As tributes pour in for actress and writer Carrie Fisher, the star once had a humorous take on how she would like to be remembered in her autobiography Wishful Drinking. In the 2008 book which was turned into an Off Broadway show, she declared she would want her obituary to read she "drowned in moonlight, strangled by her own bra".

Best known for her role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars franchise, Fisher made her feature film debut in the 1975 movie Shampoo, in which she starred opposite Warren Beatty.

The actress also appeared in The Blues Brothers in 1980, When Harry Met Sally (1989), Scream 3 (2000), Charlie's Angels: Full throttle and Drop Dead Fred. She was not just not noted for her performances on screen, she turned her hand to writing and became a noted script doctor for a number of Hollywood films.

Fisher wrote a semi-autobiographical book Postcards from the Edge in 1987, which went on to become a film starring Meryl Streep, with the screenplay also written by Fisher.

Following the success of Postcards from the Edge, Fisher wrote seven other books, and several screenplays, most recently releasing her autobiography The Princess Diarist in 2016, in which she revealed she had an affair with her co-star Harrison Ford while filming Star Wars: A New Hope.

The actress and writer was also a campaigner for mental health issues, revealing she suffered from bipolar disorder and had received electro-convulsive therapy (ECT). She also battled addictions to cocaine and prescription medication.

Fisher is survived by her only child with Bryan Lourd, daughter Billie Lourd, her mother Debbie Reynolds, brother Todd Fisher and half-sisters Tricia and Joely Fisher.

Her death on 27 December left legions of fans and co-stars devastated, after her daughter confirmed she had not recovered after suffering a heart attack on a flight on 23 December.

"It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning," read the statement from publicist Simon Halls. "She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly."

Fisher's Star Wars co-star Mark Hamill, who played her twin brother Luke Skywalker, simply tweeted: "No words #devastated" and shared a picture of himself and Fisher dressed in their Star Wars costumes."

He was joined in sending his condolences by Billy Dee Williams, who played Lando Calrissian in the franchise, who tweeted: "I'm 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!"