Page 20 - Star Wars Insider (Special Edition 2019)

choices and the choices infiltrating the gangster’s palace It’s hard to imagine most

of others. This understanding of in disguise for the rescue mission, Hollywood stars delivering such
motivations later served her well volunteering for the dangerous work in secret, never seeking credit
as a storyteller known for having strike team mission to the forest for these accomplishments. But that,
a keen eye for characters. moon, unhesitatingly hopping aboard too, was part of who Carrie became

Many filmmakers and fans a speeder bike to chase down scout as her career developed. Sometimes
list The Empire Strikes Back as troopers, and forging a key alliance the private successes matter as
the high bar for Star Wars. It’s with the Ewoks. Carrie understood much, or more, than the public ones.
a slower-paced movie than the how much more there is to Leia than In notable interviews with AV Club
special-effects spectacles that a metal bikini, just as there was so and Newsweek, she talked about why
followed in its footsteps. The fi lm much more to her than Princess Leia. she stopped script-doctoring: the
took a moment to let all three of the Long after the conclusion of the tendency shifted to studios soliciting
original trilogy’s main characters original trilogy in 1983, even as she notes from numerous script doctors,
breathe. Irvin Kershner’s movie joked about the overly merchandised and then using the ideas without
diverges from the B-movie, fate of Leia—including a hilarious hiring them. “That’s free work, and
monomythic format of A New Hope and bawdy roast of George Lucas that’s what I always call life-wasting
and channels a fairy tale, bringing at the 2005 presentation of his events,” said Fisher, a woman who
Leia to the fore in a romance with Lifetime Achievement Award from obviously knew her worth.
scoundrel Han while Luke is off the American Film Institute—Carrie The other dominant theme
learning the ways of the Jedi. As a maintained her fi erce protectiveness in Carrie Fisher’s journey beyond
young actress, Carrie thrived when of Leia and her importance. After Star Wars was her unfl inching
given the opportunity to showcase appearing onstage at Celebration commitment to candor and realism
the character’s vulnerability and Anaheim in April 2015, she told about the challenges of mental
compassion, and her performance Entertainment Weekly’s Anthony illness and addiction in her life.
elevates Leia Organa above most Breznican, “I’m the custodian Though sometimes played for
other badass takes on strong of Leia.” humor, as in Postcards from the Edge
female characters that emerged If many fans might most and Wishful Drinking, she used that
in the Princess’s wake. In my associate Carrie Fisher with her storytelling tool not to minimize or
2011 post at FANgirl Blog, I called acting role as Princess Leia, in the distract from the seriousness of the
Leia the “gold standard for strong hero’s journey of her life’s work she topic, but rather to create a feeling
female heroines.” It takes a writer found a passion in storytelling. Her of empathy and relatability that
and director to create the shell writing career took off when she allowed others to understand the
of a well-crafted character; Carrie penned her fi rst novel, Postcards struggles within.
Fisher is the heart that elevates from the Edge (1987). Loosely based
Leia to the status of golden. on her contentious relationship with
her mother, its success led to Carrie “It’s kind of a virus of the brain. It
writing the screenplay for the 1990 makes you go very fast or very sad.
“They asked me on the day if film adaptation, which starred Or both. Those are fun days. And

I wanted to have a stunt double Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine. so judgment isn’t one of my big
kill Jabba. No! That’s the best time Though more fiction and non- good things. But I have a good

I ever had as an actor. And the only fiction followed, much of Carrie’s voice. I can write well. I’m not a

reason to go into acting is if you acclaim for writing remained hidden good bicycle rider. So I’m just like
can kill a giant monster.” from the public eye, as she quickly anybody else—only louder, and
became one of Hollywood’s most faster, and sleeps more.”
~ Carrie Fisher at the Hay sought-after script doctors. The
Festival, 2014 quality of her writing on Postcards ~ Carrie Fisher, explaining bipolar
led to a request from Steven Spielberg disorder to a young boy during a panel
to rewrite the dialogue for Tinkerbell at Indiana Comic-Con, 2015
An empowered and magnetic in Hook (1991), then Whoopi Goldberg
character like Princess Leia, and requesting her input on Sister Act
an actress as beautiful inside and (1992). Soon she was well known The power of her honesty made
out as Carrie Fisher, would have for improving the roles of female Carrie one of the public fi gures who
become a pop-culture phenomenon characters, including Rene Russo’s has done the most in recent years to
no matter her attire in Return of the Lorna Cole in Lethal Weapon 3 remove the stigma associated with
Jedi. Carrie’s discomfort with the (1992) and Drew Barrymore’s mental illness and addiction, and
frequently publicized imagery of Julia Sullivan in The Wedding instead to acknowledge them as
Leia as a scantily clad sex symbol Singer (1998). treatable medical conditions no

was deflected with her familiar different than other physical ailments.
A suitably regal brazen, candid humor. Perhaps In a moment where the comedienne
Carrie Fisher returned as much as anything else though, “Make the women smarter gets a last laugh and an impact
as General Leia to Carrie’s mockery emphasized that and the love scenes better.” statement, Carrie Fisher’s ashes were
buried beside her beloved mother
Leia’s undress in the Jabba’s Palace
much acclaim in sequence of the film has substantially ~ Carrie Fisher interview with in a giant replica of a Prozac pill.

The Force Awakens overshadowed the rest of Leia’s WebMD, 2010 Among many instances across
(2015). heroism in Return of the Jedi: the years, she made memorable
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