Happy Birthday! Carrie Fisher Turns 60 Years Old Today

Happy birthday, Carrie Fisher! The iconic actress turns 60 years old today.

Born in October 1956, Fisher was raised in Beverly Hills with her younger brother. Known for her love of reading, Fisher was regarded as a bookworm during her youth and eventually developed an interest in theater. At age 15, Fisher appeared in the Broadway revival of Irene and eventually attended London's Central School of Speech and Drama.

In 1975, the actress made her big screen debut in Shampoo alongside Warren Beatty and Goldie Hawn. But it was two years later that Fisher landed the role of a lifetime when she was cast as Princess Leia in George Lucas' Star Wars.

Fisher first played Princess Leia in 1977 in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Initially, the actress didn't think the space opera would hit it off with general audiences, but her thoughts were quickly turned once the sci-fi flick became a hit. Fisher would go on to reprise her role as Leia in the next two Star Wars films to round out the original trilogy.

Outside of Star Wars, Fisher has starred in numerous films and television series. She appeared in The Blue Brothers and The Man With One Red Shoe, making her one of few actors to work alongside both John and James Belushi. She is also an accomplished writer who publisher her first novel in 1987 titled Postcards from the Edge. The book was picked up by Colombia Pictures and turned into a film adaptation starring Meryl Streep and Dennis Quaid.

Most recently, fans saw Fisher return to theaters in the newest Star Wars trilogy. The actress reprise her role of Leia for Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens along with co-stars Mark Hammill and Harrison Ford. Fisher also had connections with the second Star Wars trilogy as a script doctor. And, this month, Fisher returned to her original Star Wars days after her nonfiction novel titled The Princess Diarist was released. The bestseller is a collection of journals that Fisher kept during the filming of the first Star Wars film.

Happy birthday! May the Force be with you, Carrie!