Stars bid farewell to Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher

Meryl Streep, Gwyneth Paltrow and Star Wars creator George Lucas were among the mourners at Fisher’s estate in Coldwater Canyon, Los Angeles, where she and Reynolds were next-door neighbours. British actors Stephen Fry and Eric Idle, singer Courtney Love and actresses Jamie Lee Curtis, who stars with Fisher’s daughter Billie Lourd on TV series Scream Queens, and Meg Ryan were also spotted at the compound. Other guests included actors Ed Begley Jr, Candice Bergen and Ellen Barkin. Streep, who starred in the adaptation of Fisher’s semi-autobiographical novel Postcards From The Edge, was pictured carrying a bunch of white roses as she entered the estate. A family friend said that 125 guests attended the service and the Oscar-winning actress performed Fisher’s favourite song Happy Days Are Here Again. Eulogies were delivered by Streep, Fry, Lourd and British comedienne Tracey Ullman. Members of the media gathered outside the fenced-off compound on Thursday, where a fan had placed a bunch of white roses at the entrance. Security officers stood outside the wooden entrance doors, which were emblazoned with quirky slogans such as Beware Of Trains, No Swimsuits In Lobby and Public Telephone Within. Fisher, who shot to fame as Princess Leia in Star Wars, died on 27 December aged 60 after suffering a heart attack on a flight from London to Los Angeles four days earlier. Singin’ In The Rain star Reynolds died aged 84 following a suspected stroke, a day after Fisher’s death. Reynolds’ son Todd Fisher has said his mother and sister Carrie would be buried together at Forest Lawn Memorial Park-Hollywood Hills, the resting place of celebrities including Bette Davis, Stan Laurel and Liberace. Last week Fisher posted a cartoon depiction of his mother and sister together, reprising their most famous roles from Star Wars and Singin’ in the Rain, alongside the caption: “This is a beautiful love story to witness in my 58 years. I miss them both so much. Love is everlasting.” Lourd, 24, commented for the first time earlier this week on the deaths of her mother and grandmother. Alongside a photograph of her, Fisher and Reynolds, she wrote on Instagram: “Receiving all of your prayers and kind words over the past week has given me strength during a time I thought strength could not exist. There are no words to express how much I will miss my Abadaba and my one and only Momby. Your love and support means the world to me.” Broadway dimmed its lights last night for one minute to pay tribute to Fisher and Reynolds.