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Entertainer Debbie Reynolds dies at 84, one day after her daughter’s death

December 28, 2016 Alphonse Leave a comment

In a tragic turn of events, Debbie Reynolds, one of the great American entertainers of Hollywood and Broadway, has died, just one day after her daughter, Carrie Fisher, passed away. Reynolds was 84. Little is known about the cause of death, though early reports suggest she was rushed to the hospital with the symptoms of a stroke. Reynolds loved her children, and was highly supportive of them. She always spoke proudly and openly of Carrie Fisher’s great talent, and writing ability. Friends describe Reynolds as kind, loving and charitable. She was known to use her fame and good fortune to help others.

Watch 2011 Oprah Interview with Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher (Youtube)

Reynolds, a strikingly beautiful young woman with considerable talent, was discovered in 1952 by scouts while participating in a beauty contest. She was a triple threat as a singer, dancer and actress. Her first movie, ‘Singing in the Rain’, with the great Gene Kelly, was an enormous success, and catapulted her to stardom. She’s best known for her excellent work in ‘Singing in the Rain,’ and her outstanding performance in ‘The unsinkable Molly Brown,’ which earned her an Oscar nomination.

In 1959 she endured a public humiliation with great dignity when her first husband, Singer Eddie Fisher, left her for Elizabeth Tailor, who was one of her closest friends at the time. This and other breakups left her in difficult financial straits, but over the years her love of collecting Hollywood memorabilia paid dividends, earning her millions in auction sales.

As her career developed, she turned away from an active movie career, but enjoyed a long run on broadway, along with television appearances, including a recurring role on ‘Will and Grace.’ And she never stopped singing. Always the consummate entertainer, the multi-talented Reynolds was also known for outstanding impressions of popular celebrities, including Barbara Streisand, Catherine Hepburn, and Betty Davis.

Learn more about the life of Debbie Reynolds (CNN)

Photo: San Francisco Chronicle / SFGATE.com

Carrie Fisher dies at 60

December 27, 2016 Alphonse Leave a comment

There’s very sad news from Hollywood. Actress and author Carrie Fisher has passed away at 60. Fisher suffered a massive heart attack in the air, enrout from London to Los Angeles, on December 23, and finally succumbed to her condition on Tuesday.

Fisher was a dynamic, charismatic force in popular culture. She was born into a show business family—- her mother is super star actress Debbie Reynolds. She made her film debut in Shampoo, opposite Warren Beaty, in 1976. But she’s best known for her spirited portrayal of the dignified and rebellious Princess Leia in George Lucas’s Star Wars franchise, making a name for herself playing opposite Harrison Ford in his own break out role as Hans Solo, the seemingly brash, selfish smuggler with redeeming qualities. The chemistry between the two was palpable, as the success of the Star Wars films rocketed Fisher to stardom in the 70s and 80s.

However, fame often comes with a price. Fisher struggled with substance abuse and mental illness for years, very openly writing about her bipolar diagnosis and chemical dependency issues in her books. She penned the semi autobiographical novel ‘Postcards from the edge,’ which follows a fictitious actress, based on Fisher, rebooting her life and film career following a stint in drug rehab.

She also presented a poignant one woman show, ‘Wishful Drinking,’ which she turned into an autobiography. In total she wrote 6 books, which were emotionally honest, clear-headed critiques of society, Hollywood, and her own life. She was returning from a book tour visit in London to publicize her final work, ‘The Princess Diarist,’ based on diary entries she made while filming the first Star Wars film as a young woman, when she suffered her heart attack.

Fisher struggled with addiction, as many artists and actors do, though of course, these issues affect people from all walks of life. Perhaps the norms of show business life, particularly in the 70s, and the easy availability of money and drugs among the film industry crowd, make it particularly easy for young actors like Fisher to experiment with drugs and alcohol.

Also, people who endure serious bouts of depression often self-medicate, which provides some temporary relief but spells trouble down the road. In any event, it’s clear that some very talented and capable people, like Fisher, can fall victim to drug and alcohol dependency, and more medically-based treatment programs are needed to assure that they get adequate help, so they can continue living and working as productive members of society.

Learn more about Carrie Fisher’s life and career (New York Times)

Photo: By Riccardo Ghilardi photographer (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL, via Wikimedia Commons

Beloved actress Carrie Fisher suffers heart attack in flight

December 23, 2016 Alphonse Leave a comment

Beloved screen actress Carrie Fisher, best known for her role as the heroic and indomitable Princess Leia in the Star Wars Franchise, suffered cardiac arrest on a flight from London to Los Angeles.

She’s currently in stable condition at an LA hospital, and is reported to be on a respirator, but the situation was critical. The heart attack struck while the plane was airborne, 15 minutes before it was due to land. An EMT who happened to be traveling on the same flight rendered assistance, administering CPR while the pilot made an emergency landing.

Carrie Fisher, who’s now 60, was traveling on a tour to promote her new book, A Princess Diarist, based on diaries she kept as a young actress working on the first Star Wars movie. Now a successful writer, she’s penned several books inspired by her life, her battle with addiction, and her path to recovery, as well as movie making and the Hollywood experience.

Learn more about Carrie Fisher’s condition (BBC)

Photo: By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America – Carrie Fisher, CC BY-SA 2.0, Link