Debbie Reynolds, mother of the late actor Carrie Fisher, has died aged 84, just over a day after her daughter's death.
Born Mary Francis Reynolds in April, 1932, the American actor and singer was just a teenager when she shot to fame for her role in the 1950 film Three Little Words, earning her a Golden Globe nomination for most promising newcomer.
But one of her most memorable roles in her early career was as the fiery and talented Kathy Selden in the world-renowned 1952 musical Singin' In The Rain, which saw her dance and sing alongside Gene Kelly when she was just 20 years old.
Read more: Carrie Fisher and 128 famous faces we've said goodbye to in 2016
She became synonymous with the Hollywood cinema glamour of the 50s and 60s, taking over the big screen with roles such as Pansy Hammer in The Affairs Of Dobie Gillis (1953), Jane Hurley in The Catered Affair (1956), Tammy in Tammy and the Batchelor (1957), Molly Brown in The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964), and Sister Ann in The Singing Nun (1966).
Though she married three times, it was her first marriage to musician Eddie Fisher in 1955 that led to the birth of Carrie and her son Todd.
Photo credit: PA
But while she continued to have a loving relationship with her own and her ex-husband's children, including Joely Fisher, the marriage ended sourly, after news emerged of Fisher's affair with movie star Elizabeth Taylor.
The pair divorced in 1959 and she married Harry Karl the following year, then Richard Hamlett in 1984.
As well as a successful career on Broadway, in her later years, she played the recurring role of Bobbi Adler, mother of Grace in the hit American sitcom Will And Grace.
Read More: The Herald's obituary
She was also known for her charity work, devoting 56 years to The Thalians mental health charity, from its foundation in 1955 until 2011.
On December 28 she was rushed to hospital after suffering a stroke while at the her son's home making plans for her daughter's funeral.
Media website Tmz.com said she had been left "distraught" by Fisher's death the previous day, following a heart attack on a transatlantic flight on December 23.
Carrie Fisher, 60, suffered a heart attack on a transatlantic flight on December 23 and died the following Tuesday.
Read more: Carrie Fisher and 128 famous faces we've said goodbye to in 2016
Since then tributes have been made by a number of well-wishers, including her Star Wars co-stars.
Her candid account of life behind the scenes of the blockbuster films has now topped the bestseller list. The Princess Diarist, released this year, reveals the actor-turned-author’s on-set affair with Harrison Ford while filming the sci-fi blockbuster in 1976 through a series of memoirs she kept.
It came as Fisher’s former husband, singer-songwriter Paul Simon, added his condolences. The former half of American duo Simon & Garfunkel wrote on Twitter: “Yesterday was a horrible day. Carrie was a special, wonderful girl. It’s too soon. Paul Simon.”
Ford, 74, gave a heartfelt statement on Tuesday about the Princess Leia star, saying: “Carrie was one of a kind... brilliant, original. Funny and emotionally fearless. She lived her life, bravely.”
Fisher had become an international screen star and sex symbol when she appeared in the first Star Wars film in 1977.
Her Star Wars legacy is set to continue as she returns as General Leia Organa in Star Wars: Episode VIII, due for release next December.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel