Carrie Fisher

"One actress in particular seemed tailor-made to play a princess. As the daughter of actress Debbie Reynolds and singer Eddie Fisher, Carrie Fisher was the product of Hollywood royalty."

- Ed Singer

Carrie Frances Fisher (October 21, 1956–December 27, 2016) was an actress best known for her portrayal of Princess Leia Organa in the Star Wars film series.

Early life
Carrie Frances Fisher was born in Beverly Hills, California, the daughter of the singer Eddie Fisher and the actress Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds; her paternal grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Russia. Her younger brother is Todd Fisher. Her half-sisters are actresses Joely Fisher and Tricia Leigh Fisher, whose mother is actress Connie Stevens.

When she was two years old, her parents divorced and her father married actress Elizabeth Rosamund Taylor. The following year, her mother, Reynolds, married shoe store chain owner Harry Karl--who squandered Reynolds's life savings without the knowledge of either Reynolds or Fisher. Fisher grew up wanting to follow in the footsteps of her famous parents. She began appearing with her mother in Las Vegas at age 12. She attended Beverly Hills High School but left to become an actress. She appeared as a debutante and dancer in the hit Broadway revival Irene (1973) starring her mother.

Career
"We signed away our likeness, so when I look in the mirror, I have to pay George a couple of bucks."

- Carrie Fisher, joking about the success of Star Wars

Soon after, she enrolled at London's Central School of Speech and Drama, which she attended for 18 months. Her first movie appearance was in the Columbia comedy Shampoo (1975) starring Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, and Goldie Hawn, with Lee Grant and Jack Warden.

In 1977, Fisher starred as Princess Leia Organa in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, written and directed by George Lucas, along with Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Peter Cushing, and Alec Guinness.

Star Wars was a huge success and made her internationally famous. Her character of Leia Organa became a merchandising triumph; there were small plastic dolls of her in every toy store across the United States. Fisher has often joked that it was actually Princess Leia who became famous, and she just happened to look like her. After her appearance in Return of the Jedi wearing the famous "metal bikini" or "slave" outfit, Fisher was, for a brief time, regarded as a sex symbol.

In the late 1970s, Fisher became addicted to various drugs. (Her genetic lineage from her father, the singer Eddie Fisher, had rendered her highly physiologically vulnerable to such addictions.) She appeared as Princess Leia in the 1978 made-for-TV movie The Star Wars Holiday Special, and her drug use was quite evident from her on-screen performance. The problem became so severe that director John Landis nearly dismissed her from The Blues Brothers (1980) for being unable to sober up long enough to film a proper scene. She then cleaned up and joined N.A. and A.A.

She appeared on Broadway as Iris in Censored Scenes from King Kong (1980). She appeared again as Princess Leia in Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi (1983). She was also a replacement in the Broadway play Agnes of God (1982).

Fisher's novel Postcards from the Edge&mdash;which was semi-autobiographical in the sense that she fictionalized events obviously from her real life, such as her drug addiction of the late 1970s and her complicated, precarious relationship with her mother, Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds&mdash;was published in 1987. It became a sensational bestseller and she received the Los Angeles Pen Award for Best First Novel.

In 1990, Columbia released a movie version of Postcards from the Edge, which Fisher adapted for the screen from her own novel and which starred Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine, and Dennis Quaid.

Behind the scenes
Carrie Fisher played Princess Leia Organa in A New Hope (1977), The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Return of the Jedi (1983). She later reprised her role for Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II, in which she also provided the voice for Mon Mothma. She also voiced Mothma via her character "Angela" on Family Guy: It's A Trap!.

Fisher hosted the November 18, 1978 episode of Saturday Night Live, in which she came onto the stage outfitted as Leia Organa, complete to her hair being arranged into the hairstyle she had employed throughout most of A New Hope, which some people had noted resembled an Imperial TIE fighter. She opens the show by telling a long "joke" based entirely on Star Wars references. She then appeared in a sketch, again as Leia, in which she sings and dances with a group of 1950s teenagers. The episode contained the first polished performance by Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as their popular Blues Brothers characters, Joliet Jake (Belushi) and Elwood (Aykroyd); their performance as such actually preceded Fisher's hosting activities. Fisher later appeared in The Blues Brothers movie as Joliet Jake's vengeful ex-lover, listed in the credits as "Mystery Woman." She is one of the few actors to star in movies with both John and Jim Belushi, later appearing with Jim in the film The Man with One Red Shoe.

In addition to her acting work, Fisher was also a novelist and a frequent script doctor on the screenplays of other writers. Her novels, aside from Postcards From The Edge, include Surrender the Pink (1991), Delusions Of Grandma (1993), and The Best Awful There Is (2004). She also published a book of photographs titled Hollywood Moms (2001) and even wrote three primarily non-photographic non-fiction books, Wishful Drinking, based on a 2006 one-woman stage show she and writer-director Joshua Ravetch had jointly developed, published in 2008, Shockaholic, published in 2011, and The Princess Diarist, whose publication was slated for 2016. Fisher wrote the 1993 episode of Lucas's TV series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles titled "Paris, October 1916."

Fisher developed and appeared in two one-woman stage shows; the first, mentioned above, was Wishful Drinking, in which she appeared during 2006 and in 2008, and the second, in which she appeared during 2008, was called A Spy In The House Of Me.

Fisher co-wrote the TV comedy movie These Old Broads (2001), of which she was also co-executive producer. It starred her mother, Debbie Reynolds, as well as Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Collins, and Shirley MacLaine. In this, Taylor's character, an agent, explains to Reynolds's character, an actress, that she was in a drunken blackout when she married the actress's husband, "Freddy."

Though Fisher demonstrated talent as a singer, notably in both the SNL segment she hosted and the Holiday Special, she is not known to have made any recordings of music.

Fisher made a comment once about her experiences off the set of Star Wars films: "I used to go in though airports and have people say; 'Princess Leia!' Like I would then go; 'Yes?' You know, like that's my real name." When The Phantom Menace was released, Fisher commented on her eagerness to see the movie, saying, "I will be thrilled to see the new movie. I've read it and I can't wait to see, because I know that he (Lucas) does better than what's on the page... if that's possible."

In the film Scream 3 (2000), Fisher's character, Bianca Burnette, is mistaken for Carrie Fisher. Fisher pokes fun at herself with the line, "Yeah, I was up for the part of Princess Leia. But who gets it? The girl who slept with George Lucas!" Fisher appeared in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001), which also featured Mark Hamill in a role. In the 2009 film Fanboys, Fisher's character references the famous "I love you/I know" line from both The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi.

In early March of 2013, Fisher confirmed in an interview with the Palm Beach Illustrated magazine that she would return to reprise her role as Princess Leia in Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens.

Personal life
Carrie Fisher had one husband, the musician Paul Simon. During their unsuccessful marriage, which lasted from 1983 to 1984, she miscarried their child. She also dated CAA principal and agent Bryan Lourd; their daughter, Billie Catherine Lourd, was born on July 17, 1992. The couple's relationship ended when Lourd came out as bisexual. For a brief time, during her participation in The Blues Brothers, she was even engaged to Dan Aykroyd, one of her castmates. It was rumored for years that she had an affair with Harrison Ford while filming the original Star Wars film; while Fisher admitted she had a crush on Ford and spent much time with him off camera, she denied having an affair with him. In 2016, however, Fisher admitted in her autobiographical novel, The Princess Diarist, that she did, in fact, have an affair with Ford.

In an interview on public radio in 2005, Fisher joked about being known overwhelmingly for her role as Princess Leia, and also joked that she was afraid if she ever became senile she might begin to slip back into character.

Fisher publicly discussed her problems with liquor and drugs, her battles with bipolar disorder, and overcoming an addiction to prescription antidepressants, most notably on ABC TV's 20/20.

On February 26, 2005, 42-year-old Republican Party media adviser R. Gregory Stevens was found dead in a guest room at Fisher's home. She stated that he was a longtime friend and often stayed with her. An autopsy revealed he died from an overdose of cocaine and OxyContin.

Fisher broke her 12 year run of non-dating by living with three-time Emmy award winning news pilot/reporter Bob Tur. The couple broke up in late 2005. In late 2007, she was reportedly seen with British novelist Salman Rushdie, sparking rumors of a romantic relationship.

Death
On December 23, 2016, Carrie Fisher was reported to be in critical condition after having suffered a massive heart attack on a flight. Fisher had been the victim of an Internet death hoax just days before and was filming a new series in the United Kingdom for Channel 4. But much to public shock and horror, Fisher died as a result of her heart attack on December 27, 2016, at the age of 60. She is survived by her mother Debbie Reynolds and her daughter Billie Lourd.

Filmography

 * Shampoo (1975) ... Lorna
 * Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope (1977) ... Princess Leia Organa
 * Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back (1980) ... Princess Leia Organa
 * The Blues Brothers (1980) ... Mystery Woman
 * Under the Rainbow (1981) ... Annie Clark
 * Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi (1983) ... Princess Leia Organa
 * Garbo Talks (1984) ... Lisa Rolfe
 * The Man with One Red Shoe (1985) ... Paula
 * Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) ... April
 * Hollywood Vice Squad (1986) ... Betty Melton
 * Amazon Women on the Moon (1987) (Reckless Youth segment) ... Mary Brown
 * The Time Guardian (1987) ... Petra
 * Appointment with Death (1988) ... Nadine Boynton
 * The 'burbs (1989) ... Carol Peterson
 * Loverboy (1989) ... Monica Delancy
 * When Harry Met Sally... (1989) ... Marie
 * She's Back (1989) ... Beatrice
 * Sweet Revenge (1990) ... Linda
 * Sibling Rivalry (1990) ... Iris Turner-Hunter
 * Drop Dead Fred (1991) ... Janie
 * Soapdish (1991) ... Betsy Faye Sharon
 * Hook (1991) ... Woman kissing on bridge (uncredited)
 * This Is My Life (1992) ... Claudia Curtis
 * Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) ... Therapist (uncredited)
 * Scream 3 (2000) ... Bianca Burnette
 * Heartbreakers (2001) ... Ms. Surpin
 * Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001) ... Nun
 * A Midsummer Night's Rave (2002) ... Mia's Mom
 * Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003) ... Mother Superior
 * Wonderland (2003) ... Sally Hansen
 * Stateside (2004) ... Mrs. Dubois
 * Undiscovered (2005) ... Carrie
 * The Aristocrats (2005) ... herself
 * Cougar Club (2007) ... Glady Goodbey
 * Fanboys (2009) ... cameo as "The Doctor"
 * Maps to the Stars (2014) ... herself
 * Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens (2015) ... General Leia Organa
 * Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
 * Star Wars: Episode VIII (2017) ... General Leia Organa

TV work

 * The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978) ... Princess Leia Organa (aired once)
 * Smallville (2005)
 * Sex and the City (Episode: "Sex and Another City") ... Herself
 * Family Guy
 * Deal or No Deal
 * 30 Rock
 * Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II
 * The Big Bang Theory (Episode: "The Convention Conundrum") ... Herself

By Fisher
Novels Photography Autobiographical Screenplays/Teleplays others unknown as of December 2016
 * Postcards From The Edge, 1987
 * Surrender The Pink, 1991
 * Delusions Of Grandma, 1993
 * The Best Awful There Is, 2004 (sequel to Postcards From The Edge)
 * Hollywood Moms, 2001
 * Wishful Drinking, 2008
 * Shockaholic, 2011
 * The Princess Diarist, 2016
 * Postcards From The Edge, 1990 film version
 * The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (TV series produced by LucasFilm LTD.) episode titled "Paris, October 1916," transmitted 1993
 * These Old Broads, transmitted 2001(in collaboration); also a co-executive producer