Carrie Fisher : My Forever Princess

On Tuesday, Carrie Fisher died at the age of 60 after suffering a heart attack on a plane Friday afternoon. For many, the actress’s memory might forever be tied to her role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars franchise—but to her most adoring fans, that was only a fraction of what made Carrie Fisher. In an industry that can often be repressive and hostile to women, especially those who continue to work past their 30s, Fisher and her biting wit stood firm for decades.


I knew her when I was little, seeing her as a beautiful princess from a movie about galaxy. And not only pretty and beautiful, she was bad ass and kind. She's been my role mode since then. As I got older I searched for her and curious where she was now. She was there, being an actress, a writer, and also a screen doctor. She was humble and never take life too seriously. She was very amazing not only as an actor, but also as a human being.

Fisher landed her career-making Star Wars role. At 19, Fisher played the teenaged senator, princess, and rebel leader, Princess Leia, with such an air of poise and maturity that it’s easy to forget she and Mark Hamill’s whiny Luke Skywalker are meant to be the same age. Star Wars  a movie that changed Hollywood and a franchise that continues to captivate new audiences around the world. She revisited the role as the leader of a galactic rebellion in sequels, including last year’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Star Wars will undeniably remain the centerpiece of Fisher’s legacy, but it’s also perhaps the best example of her complicated relationship with Hollywood and fame. On one hand, Princess Leia was one of the most badass women in sci-fi. On the other, her rail-thin body and gold bikini represent the complicated, sometimes fraught space that women are often forced to occupy in this genre—and in the film industry more generally.

Fisher had bipolar disorder for which she received electroshock therapy. She chain-smoked, confessed to a love of LSD and her compulsions led to addictions to cocaine and painkillers. Fisher was also a great script doctor and a model of candor about bipolarity. Being in Star Wars was maybe her 11th coolest accomplishment.

And as a shipper of Fisher and Ford, in herlatest book, The Princess Diarist, was well-received, and made news when she disclosed that she and Ford had had an affair on the set of Star Wars. She told People magazine: “It was Han and Leia during the week, and Carrie and Harrison during the weekend.”

"She didn't need The Force. She was a force of nature, of loyalty and of friendship." -- Steven Spielberg

Whatever detail fans might seize on, there’s one unifying feature to the best of Carrie Fisher: self-acceptance. In an industry that can so easily erode a person’s confidence, Fisher’s unapologetic ownership of herself—her whole self—was downright inspirational.

She is one with the Force. She was the brightest and will always be. May the force is with you Princess Leia.