George Lucas praises 'powerful princess' Carrie Fisher

The actress, author and stage performer Carrie Fisher died Tuesday at age 60, Mashable has confirmed.

In the midst of emotional and heartfelt tributes from celebrities and an outpouring of love from fans on Twitter, the legendary George Lucas, creator of the Star Wars franchise, spoke about losing his beloved Princess Leia.

In a statement, Lucas praised the actress as a true talent, a dear friend and a treasured personality.

"Carrie and I have been friends for most of our adult lives," Lucas said.

He went on to pay tribute to her intellect, acting and writing skills, and sense of humour before bringing up the her epic and historical role as Princess Leia.

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"In Star Wars she was our great and powerful princess - feisty, wise and full of hope in a role that was more difficult than most people might think," he said.

Lucas ended his statement by offering his deepest sympathies to Fisher's family, friends and fans, and reminding us how missed she will be.

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Hollywood and the Star Wars universe will certainly never be the same.

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