Today marks what would be the great Carrie Fisher's 63rd birthday (Oct 21). We celebrate the wonderful actress, star of Star Wars, who we lost much too soon in 2016. 

Tragically in December 2016, the world lost two Hollywood greats, within two days: actress and writer Carrie Fisher, whose most iconic role was Princess Leia in Star Wars, and her mother, the legendary Debbie Reynolds. Today we remember Carrie Fisher on her birthday.

What many might not know about the fire-cracker Hollywood A-lister Carrie Fisher is that she was hugely proud of her Irish roots. It was only in 2014 that, Fisher revealed the pride she took in her Irish roots, the Donegal Democrat reports.

In February 2015, when she was given the Oscar Wilde Award from the US-Ireland Alliance for her contribution to film and television, Fisher told of how one of her ancestors had to flee Donegal.

"My great-great-grandfather was a fugitive named Burt McReynolds," she said.

“My great, great, fabulous grandfather from County Donegal was wrongfully accused of being a horse thief, a case of mistaken identity," the actress explained.

“But rather than put his family through the rigors of a trial to clear the family name,” she continued, “he emigrated to America, dropped the ‘Mc’ in the ocean, became Burt Reynolds, and the rest is history... and incredibly boring.”

Debbie Reynolds, Carrie Fisher to have joint funeral https://t.co/0LN5uP0PJg pic.twitter.com/U5ZCJXA9GF

— NBC News (@NBCNews) December 31, 2016

With a nod to her mother, she said, “Thankfully, my mother changed all that and gave our family name a kick in the pants that it might or might not deserve.”

Fisher (60) died on December 27 2016, four days after suffering a heart attack on a flight from London to Los Angeles. Reynolds, 84, died the next day of a suspected stroke.

Todd Fisher, Reynolds' son, and Fisher’s brother said explained to the press that the mother and daughter will be buried side-by-side.

"From the family’s perspective, this is Debbie’s destiny," he said. "She didn't want to leave Carrie and did not want her to be alone."

Do you have a favorite Carrie Fisher memory or line? Let us know in the comments section below. 

* Originally published in December 2016.