Actress and author Carrie Fisher dies at age 60

December 28, 2016

Los Angeles, Dec 27: Carrie Fisher, the daughter of Hollywood royalty who played Princess Leia in the original "Star Wars" and turned her experiences with addiction and mental illness into bestselling books, a hit film and popular stage performances, died today after suffering a medical emergency aboard a flight on Friday. She was 60.

Carrie

Her daughter, Billie Lourd, released a statement through her spokesman announcing Fisher's death.

"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, the daughter of actress Debbie Reynolds and crooner Eddie Fisher, had been hospitalized since Friday, when paramedics responded to a patient in distress at Los Angeles International Airport. Fisher's family said she was in intensive care Friday evening.

She made her feature film debut opposite Warren Beatty in the 1975 hit "Shampoo." She also appeared in "Austin Powers," ''The Blues Brothers," ''Charlie's Angels," ''Hannah and Her Sisters," ''Scream 3" and "When Harry Met Sally ..."

But Fisher is best remembered as Princess Leia in the original "Star Wars" in 1977, with her now-iconic braided buns, who uttered the immortal phrase, "Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope." Fisher played a part in which she was tough, feisty and powerful, even if at one point she was chained to Jabba the Hutt.

(She reprised the role in Episode VII of the series, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in 2015, and her digitally rendered image appears in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.")

"No words #Devastated," actor Mark Hamill posted on Twitter today. Fisher long battled drug addiction and mental illness. She said she smoked pot at age 13, used LSD by 21 and was first diagnosed as bipolar at age 24. She was treated with electroconvulsive therapy and medication.

In 1987, her thinly veiled autobiography "Postcards From the Edge" became a best seller. It was adapted into a 1990 film starring Shirley MacLaine and Meryl Streep. More books followed: "Delusions of Grandma," ''Surrender the Pink," ''The Best Awful," ''Shockaholic" and this year's autobiography, "The Princess Diarist," in which she revealed that she and co-star Harrison Ford had an affair on the set of "Star Wars."

Ever ready to satirize herself, she has even played Carrie Fisher a few times, as in David Cronenberg's dark Hollywood sendup "Maps to the Stars" and in an episode of "Sex and the City." In the past 15 years, Fisher also had a somewhat prolific career as a television guest star, recently in the Amazon show "Catastrophe" as the mother of Rob Delaney's lead, and perhaps most memorably as a has-been comedy legend on "30 Rock."

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Agencies
January 5,2020

Los Angeles: Kevin Feige may have confirmed that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) will be getting its first transgender superhero but the Marvel Studios has said there is no definite timeline for that.

During a Q&A at the New York Film Academy, a fan had asked Feige about whether the studio plans to introduce LGBTQ characters into the MCU, "specifically the trans characters".

To this, the Marvel Studios president had replied, "Yes, absolutely, yes... And very soon. In a movie that we're shooting right now."

But sources in the company clarified to Variety that Feige only confirmed the first part of the comments that a trans character will appear in the MCU in future but he did not give a time period.

Though Feige did not reveal the name of the project that will introduce a LGBTQ character, fans speculate that he may have been referring to "The Eternals".

The film, which will feature an ensemble cast of Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kit Harington and others, is set to unveil a gay superhero in the MCU.

Marvel Studios has been making efforts to incorporate more diversity in its films after the success of "Black Panther", which featured a virtually all-black cast, and its first woman-fronted superhero movie "Captain Marvel".

"Avengers: Endgame", which became the highest grossing movie of all-time, had featured the MCU's first gay character, a cameo by director Joe Russo.

In 2020, the studio has two releases -- Scarlett Johansson-starrer "Black Widow" and "The Eternals" -- which have been helmed by women directors.

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Agencies
July 8,2020

Washington D.C, Jul 8: Adding another feather to her cap, actor Priyanka Chopra on Wednesday announced that she has been chosen as the ambassador of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2020.

Priyanka has joined the list of 50 celebrated filmmakers and actors who are invited as the ambassadors of the TIFF.

The 37-year-old star put out a post on Instagram and shared a montage featuring snippets of her empowering addresses at the TIFF. Along with the video, Priyanka noted that the TIFF has been a second home for her.

She wrote, "Throughout my career TIFF has been a second home for me, with many of my films, as both an actor and producer, making their world debut at the festival."

Talking about the film festival that focuses on special stories and storytellers, the 'Dostana' star added, "TIFF has always been at the forefront of supporting and championing global content that showcases diversity and inclusion, a charge led by my friend @cameronpbailey and his talented team, who work with passion to shine a spotlight on these special stories and storytellers."

"Even more than that, one of the most exceptional parts of the festival are the fans of cinema who congregate to celebrate the magic of the movies, and who have always embraced me with so much warmth and love," Priyanka added.

She shared that she feels proud to serve as the ambassador to the festival and noted," I am very proud to serve as an ambassador this year, and I look forward to continuing a relationship that I value tremendously."

The esteemed film festival will be opting for digital screenings and virtual red carpets in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The festival is scheduled to kick off from September 10 to September 19, 2020. 

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News Network
May 12,2020

Mumbai, May 12: Superstar Salman Khan on Tuesday released his latest romantic single "Tere Bina" featuring Jacqueline Fernandez while in quarantine at his Panvel farm house.

The actor, along with close family and friends from the industry, including Iulia Vantur, Waluscha De Sousa, is living in the farm house. This is the second song Salman has released amid the coronavirus pandemic, after "Pyaar Karona."

"About seven weeks ago, when we came to the farm, we didn't know we will be here under a lockdown. So we wanted to do things to keep ourselves busy. That's when we decided to do these songs. We launched 'Pyaar Karona' and now, we are launching 'Tere Bina'," Salman said in a statement.

The song, sung and directed by Salman, is composed by his friend Ajay Bhatia and written by Shab bir Ahmed.

The actor said he had the song "Tere Bina" with him for quite a while but because it wasn't fitting into any of his film, he decided to release it now.

Jacqueline said she didn't think they would be able to shoot the song, which they finished in four days of evening shoots, with such limitations.

"We are used to shooting songs on a large stage with grand production costs. There are costumes, hair, make up. All of a sudden, we find ourselves with a team of three people. For the first time, I was checking lighting and moving props around. It was a great experience and it taught us how to make the most of what we have," she said.

Salman recently sent out food packets and ration from his farm house to those affected by the lockdown.

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