What a year 2016 turned out to be. To use the hackneyed phrase surreal to describe 2016 would be a master understatement. It is as if we are all part of some bad film. What was utterly surreal is the way in which the mother and daughter actors Carrie Fisher (60) and Debbie Reynolds (84) passed away within a day. Fisher suffered a massive heart attack on her flight from London to Los Angeles from which she never recovered. She passed away on Dec 27, 2016. Reynolds was in the midst of preparing her daughter’s funeral arrangements when she suffered a stroke and passed away on Dec 28, 2016. There will be now be a joint funeral for Fisher and Reynolds.

Both Fisher and Reynolds were gifted actors, who were beloved to millions of people around the world. Growing up in India I remember how folks would fondly recollect Reynolds in MGM’s film Singin’ In The Rain. In fact the film was a mandatory watch for many kids in India before the age of Internet. Reynolds made her mark in the film alongside Gene Kelley. Here is a clip of Reynolds from Singin’ In The Rain. She was only 19 when she acted in the film

Fisher followed her mother’s footsteps and made her mark as Princess Leia in Star Wars. Here is an interview of Fisher by Brian Linehan.

 

Fisher was also a writer, who wrote extensively and one of her books was made into a film called Postcards From The Edge.

 

On January 7, 2017 HBO plans to debut its documentary Bright Lights that explores the relationship between Reynolds and Fisher.