Carrie Fisher: Biography, Star Wars, Princess Leia

Carrie Fisher’s biography is an amazing success story that captures the essence of her life on and off the screen. Known widely for her role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars saga, Fisher was not only a celebrated actress but also a prolific writer and outspoken advocate for mental health. Her life’s work continues to inspire fans and new audiences alike. Enjoy reading the life story of the iconic actress.

Early Life

Carrie Frances Fisher was born on October 21, 1956, in Burbank, California, at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center. She was the daughter of well-known actress Debbie Reynolds and singer Eddie Fisher. Her paternal grandparents were immigrants of Jewish descent¹ from Russia, while her mother had English roots and was raised in the Nazarene faith.

Carrie was only two years old when her parents divorced in 1959. Her father later married actress Connie Stevens, which gave Carrie two half-sisters, Joely Fisher and Tricia Leigh Fisher. In 1960, her mother remarried a shoe store chain owner, Harry Karl. They stayed married until 1973 when Carrie was 17.

Carrie was an avid reader from a young age, earning the nickname “the bookworm” in her family. She immersed herself in classic literature and poetry. She attended Beverly Hills High School but left at age 16 to perform as a debutante and singer in the Broadway revival of Irene, which also starred her mother. This commitment led her to drop out of high school.

Carrie moved to London in 1973 to study at the Central School of Speech and Drama for 18 months to pursue her passion for the arts. She was later accepted at Sarah Lawrence College but left before completing her degree to focus on her burgeoning acting career.

Career

1970s: Early Career Highlights

Carrie Fisher began her acting career with a strong start in the mid-1970s. Her first film role was in 1975 when she played the seductive Lorna Karpf in the comedy Shampoo. Filmed in mid-1974 when Fisher was just 17, the movie featured stars like Lee Grant, Jack Warden, Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, and Goldie Hawn.

In 1977, Fisher took on her most iconic role as Princess Leia in George Lucas‘ Star Wars, later renamed Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. Sharing the screen with Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford, the trio didn’t initially connect but grew close following the film’s massive success.

Fisher’s career continued to rise in the late 1970s. In April 1978, she appeared in Ringo Starr’s TV special Ringo as his love interest. The following month, she co-starred with John Ritter in the ABC-TV film Leave Yesterday Behind. Around the same time, she worked with acting legends Laurence Olivier and Joanne Woodward in the Laurence Olivier Presents anthology series, featuring in a TV adaptation of William Inge’s play Come Back, Little Sheba. In November 1978, Fisher reprised her role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars Holiday Special, performing a song in the final scene.

1980s: A Decade of Icond Roles

Carrie Fisher’s acting career flourished throughout the 1980s, marked by a blend of high-profile roles and personal challenges that shaped her as an artist and a writer. In 1980, she famously portrayed the “Mystery Woman” in The Blues Brothers, a role defined by her character’s vengeful pursuit of her ex-lover, Jake. During the film’s production in Chicago, an incident where she choked on a Brussels sprout led co-star Dan Aykroyd to perform the Heimlich maneuver, saving her life.

Fisher reprised her iconic role as Princess Leia in The Empire Strikes Back that same year. She and her Star Wars co-stars were featured on the cover of the July 12, 1980, issue of Rolling Stone to promote the movie. Fisher returned to Broadway in 1980 in Censored Scenes from King Kong and starred as Sister Agnes in Agnes of God in 1983. Her stint in Agnes of God coincided with her mother, Debbie Reynolds’ performance on Broadway in Woman of the Year.

You get to choose what monsters you want to slay. I’m sorry to say this again, but let’s face it – the Force is with you.

Carrie Fisher

Fisher again played Princess Leia in 1983’s Return of the Jedi, appearing in Leia’s now-iconic metal bikini on the cover of the Summer 1983 issue of Rolling Stone. The costume itself later gained a notable following.

In 1986, Fisher starred in Woody Allen’s Hannah and Her Sisters alongside Barbara Hershey and Mia Farrow. The following year marked a significant turn in her career as she published her first novel, Postcards from the Edge. The book was a semi-autobiographical take on her struggles with drug addiction in the late 1970s and her complex relationship with her mother, earning her the Los Angeles Pen Award for Best First Novel. She also acted in the Australian film The Time Guardian in 1987.

The decade closed with Fisher in a major supporting role in the romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally… in 1989, and she appeared alongside Tom Hanks in The ‘Burbs, further solidifying her place as a versatile and respected figure in Hollywood.

1990s: From Screenwriting Success to Hollywood Influence

In the 1990s, Carrie Fisher continued to leave her mark in Hollywood, both on-screen and as a writer. In 1990, Columbia Pictures released Postcards from the Edge, a film adapted by Fisher from her novel. The film starred Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine, and Dennis Quaid, showcasing Fisher’s ability to translate her personal experiences into compelling screen narratives.

Fisher also appeared in the 1991 fantasy comedy Drop Dead Fred and played a therapist in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery in 1997. She was an active writer during this decade, publishing two novels: Surrender the Pink in 1990 and Delusions of Grandma in 1993. 

Her talents extended into television, where she wrote an episode of the sitcom Roseanne titled “Arsenic and Old Mom.” In a special touch, her mother, Debbie Reynolds, guest-starred in this episode. Fisher’s behind-the-scenes influence in Hollywood was further evident through her uncredited script work. She polished dialogue for films including Lethal Weapon 3, specifically for Rene Russo’s character, as well as for Outbreak, The Wedding Singer, and Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot.

2000s: Diverse Acting Roles

In the 2000s, Carrie Fisher continued to demonstrate her versatility and wit in both acting and writing. In 2000, she appeared in Scream 3 as a former actress who humorously notes her resemblance to herself. The following year, Fisher donned a habit for her role as a nun in the Kevin Smith comedy Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. She also co-wrote and co-executively produced the TV comedy film These Old Broads in 2001, which featured an all-star cast including her mother, Debbie Reynolds, Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Collins, and Shirley MacLaine.

Fisher reprised a nun role in 2003 as Mother Superior in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle. Beyond acting, Fisher was regarded as one of Hollywood’s top script doctors, polishing screenplays discreetly from 1991 to 2005. Her expertise led her to work on the Star Wars prequel scripts and the 1992 TV series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.

Her voice acting included the role of Peter Griffin’s boss, Angela, on the animated sitcom Family Guy. She also contributed to the literary world, writing the introduction for Hollywood Moms in 2001 and publishing a sequel to Postcards from the Edge titled The Best Awful There Is in 2004. In recognition of her contributions to film and media, Fisher received the Women of Vision Award from Women in Film & Video – DC in 2005.

Fisher’s one-woman play Wishful Drinking, which she wrote and performed, debuted at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles in 2006 and toured through 2008, including performances at the Berkeley Repertory Theater and Boston. The play was so successful that she adapted it into an autobiographical book, released in December 2008, followed by a media tour. Wishful Drinking opened on Broadway at Studio 54 from October 2009 to January 2010. Her recording of the audiobook earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Album in 2009.

Additionally, Fisher appeared on Turner Classic Movies alongside Robert Osborne in 2007, adding her insights to The Essentials. She guest-starred in an episode of Sex and the City and received an Emmy nomination for her guest appearance on 30 Rock in “Rosemary’s Baby” in 2007. She also appeared on Deal or No Deal in 2008 and had a cameo as a doctor in the Star Wars-related comedy Fanboys.

2010s: Final Years of Career

Throughout the 2010s, Carrie Fisher’s vibrant personality and talents continued to shine in various facets of entertainment. In 2010, HBO aired a documentary based on her live performance of her one-woman show Wishful Drinking. At the time of her death in December 2016, she was planning a sequel to this acclaimed production.

Fisher also appeared in the seventh season of Entourage during the summer of 2010 and was a featured performer at the Comedy Central Roast of Roseanne in August 2012. During the roast, Fisher humorously addressed her mental health and poked fun at the comedic focus on weight and menopause, reflecting her sharp wit and resilience in facing personal challenges.

In 2013, Fisher was selected as a member of the main competition jury at the Venice Film Festival. She also made a memorable appearance on the UK comedy panel show QI, broadcast on Christmas Day 2014. Fisher’s acting prowess was again displayed in the British comedy series Catastrophe, first broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK on January 19, 2015. Her final appearance on Catastrophe in April 2017 moved many viewers to tears and earned her a posthumous Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.

Fisher confirmed her return as Princess Leia in the Star Wars series with the new trilogy beginning with Star Wars: The Force Awakens, released on December 18, 2015. Her involvement, along with that of original cast members, was a highlight for fans. Fisher’s performance was celebrated in this film and its sequels, and she was nominated for a 2016 Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Additionally, Fisher was featured posthumously in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) through computer animation, and she completed filming for Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) shortly before her passing. Her creative influence extended to this film, as she contributed to Leia’s dialogue.

Her memoir, The Princess Diarist, was released in November 2016. Based on diaries she kept while filming the original Star Wars trilogy, her audiobook recording of the memoir won the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album, a poignant honor 13 months after her death.

Fisher and her mother, Debbie Reynolds, were the subjects of the 2016 documentary Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, which showcased their close relationship. The documentary premiered at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival and was broadcast on January 7, 2017.

Her final film role was in Wonderwell, a movie filmed in mid-2016 in Italy with Rita Ora. It was released theatrically on June 23, 2023, followed by a digital release.

Additionally, Fisher appeared as herself in the final episode of series 1 of Urban Myths in 2017. However, this episode was never broadcast due to objections from the Jackson family regarding the portrayal of Michael Jackson in the episode. Fisher’s decade marked a blend of poignant performances, personal reflections, and a lasting impact on film and literature.

Personal Life

Relationships and Marriages

Carrie Fisher’s personal life was as colorful and complex as her on-screen personas. In her 2016 autobiography The Princess Diarist, she revealed a three-month affair with Harrison Ford during the filming of Star Wars in 1976. Fisher first met musician Paul Simon while filming Star Wars, and their relationship spanned from 1977 until 1983. She was briefly engaged to Canadian actor and comedian Dan Aykroyd in 1980, whom she met on the set of The Blues Brothers. Although they planned to marry, Fisher reunited with Paul Simon, leading to their marriage from August 1983 to July 1984. Even after their divorce, the two dated again for a while.

Fisher’s connections to music extended beyond her relationships; she appeared in Simon’s music video for “Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog after the War,” and she was referenced in his songs “Hearts and Bones” and “Graceland,” the latter of which Simon wrote post-divorce.

Her relationship with talent agent Bryan Lourd was also significant; they had a daughter, Billie Lourd, in 1992. Despite Fisher referring to Lourd as her second husband, they were never legally married. The relationship ended when Lourd left Fisher for a man.

Fisher also formed a close, non-romantic relationship with English singer-songwriter James Blunt while working on his album Back to Bedlam in 2003. She described herself as more of a therapist to Blunt, given his past experiences as a soldier, which made a romantic relationship, in her view, unethical.

Tragedy struck in 2005 when lobbyist R. Gregory “Greg” Stevens was found dead in Fisher’s California home from what was determined to be cocaine and oxycodone use, compounded by undiagnosed heart disease. Following this event, Fisher experienced intense emotional turmoil, admitting to resuming drug use during this challenging period.

In her later years, Fisher was frequently accompanied by her emotional support animal, a French Bulldog named Gary, who was well-known in public appearances and interviews. After her death, it was reported that her daughter, Billie Lourd, would care for Gary, ensuring that her beloved pet continued receiving love and care.

Advocacy

Carrie Fisher described herself as an “enthusiastic agnostic,”² Fisher was raised in a Protestant household but frequently attended Jewish services, reflecting her father’s religious background.

Her commitment to advancing public discourse on personal and societal issues was acknowledged in 2016 when Harvard College honored her with its Annual Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism. The award celebrated her candid activism and impactful dialogue on addiction, mental illness, and agnosticism, highlighting her ability to address these issues with both creativity and empathy.

Beyond her personal struggles, Fisher supported various causes, including women’s rights, animal welfare, and LGBT rights. She openly shared her experiences in caring for friends affected by AIDS and actively contributed to related organizations. Notably, she hosted benefits for amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, and was an honorary board member of the International Bipolar Foundation. Her work with The Midnight Mission earned her the Golden Heart Award in 2014.

Fisher also ventured into endorsements, becoming a spokesperson for Jenny Craig and appearing in their weight loss television ads in January 2011. Through these efforts, she used her platform to support and advocate for meaningful causes, leaving a lasting impact beyond the entertainment industry.

Health Issues

Carrie Fisher bravely shared her struggles with bipolar disorder and addiction, becoming a vocal advocate for mental health awareness. During her public appearances on shows like 20/20 and The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive with Stephen Fry, she opened up about her diagnosis and the challenges that came with it.³ Fisher revealed that she turned to drugs like cocaine and prescription medications as a form of self-medication to manage the intense fluctuations of her mood associated with bipolar disorder, which she personified with nicknames: “Roy” for her manic episodes and “Pam” for her depressive states.

Fisher also candidly discussed her use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) as a treatment to manage her condition, describing it as a way to “blow apart the cement” in her brain, which she underwent every six weeks at one point. By 2014, she shared that she had stopped receiving ECT treatments.

I’m fine, but I’m bipolar. I’m on seven medications, and I take medication three times a day. This constantly puts me in touch with the illness I have. I’m never quite allowed to be free of that for a day.

Carrie Fisher

Her battle with addiction included a challenging period during the filming of The Empire Strikes Back, where she recognized her drug use was more excessive than others around her. Her struggles culminated in a near-fatal overdose in 1985 from a mix of prescription medications and sleeping pills, an incident that inspired much of her novel and screenplay, Postcards from the Edge. When asked why she did not play the protagonist, Suzanne, in the film adaptation of her book, Fisher humorously remarked, “I’ve already played Suzanne.”

Legacy

Carrie Fisher faced a tragic end that captured the attention and hearts of fans worldwide. After concluding the European leg of her book tour with her final TV appearance on 8 Out of 10 Cats in the United Kingdom on December 21, 2016, Fisher experienced a medical emergency on a flight from London to Los Angeles on December 23, 2016. She stopped breathing shortly before the aircraft landed, and despite the efforts of fellow passengers performing CPR, Fisher was rushed to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center upon landing and placed on a ventilator.

After four days in intensive care, Fisher passed away on December 27, 2016, at the age of 60. Her daughter, Billie Lourd, confirmed the news to the media. Fisher’s death was mourned by co-stars, directors, and fans, who shared their grief and memories of her life. Initially, her cause of death was listed as “cardiac arrest/deferred,” with further tests anticipated. However, the Los Angeles County coroner’s office later indicated that while the exact cause of death was unclear, factors such as sleep apnea and artery conditions played a role. A more detailed report revealed substances, including cocaine and other opiates, in her system, though their impact on her death was indeterminate.

Fisher’s openness about her struggles with addiction and mental health was a significant part of her legacy, emphasized by her daughter’s statement that she “battled drug addiction and mental illness her entire life” and would have wanted her death to encourage openness about these struggles. Fisher noted in her memoir Wishful Drinking that she wanted to be remembered and wrote that “no matter how I go, I want it reported that I drowned in moonlight, strangled by my own bra.”⁵

The day after Fisher’s death, her mother, Debbie Reynolds, suffered a fatal stroke, expressing a desire to be with her daughter in her final moments. The family held a joint private memorial for the pair, and Fisher was cremated while her mother was entombed. Fisher’s fans created a makeshift star for her on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and honored her at various events, including a lightsaber vigil and tributes at the Star Wars Celebration. She was posthumously awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023.

Fisher’s impact resonated after her passing, as evidenced by James Blunt’s 2023 song “Dark Thought,” inspired by his friendship. Her life and career remain a significant part of Hollywood history, and she is cherished for her talent and candid advocacy.

Awards

• 1988: Saturn Awards: President’s Award
• 2016: Dorian Awards: Wilde Wit of the Year
• 2017: Grammy Awards: Best Spoken Word Album for The Princess Diarist
• 2017: Online Film & Television Association Awards: Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for Catastrophe
• 2018: Teen Choice Awards: Choice Movie Actress: Fantasy

Final Reflections

Reflecting on Carrie Fisher’s biography, we see more than just a success story of a Hollywood star; we witness a brave individual who faced her challenges head-on with humor and grace. Her impact on the entertainment industry and mental health awareness remains influential, encouraging others to embrace their struggles and triumphs with equal courage.

Reference List for Carrie Fisher’s Biography

1. Byrne, James Patrick, Philip Coleman, and Jason Francis King. Ireland and the Americas: Culture, Politics, and History: A Multidisciplinary Encyclopedia, vol. 2, ABC-CLIO, 2008, p. 804. ISBN 978-1-85109-614-5. ↩︎
2. Winokur, Jon. Return of the Portable Curmudgeon. Penguin Group, 1995, p. 302. ↩︎
3. “Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive (but I have cyclothymia).” BBC. Archived from the original on November 4, 2007. ↩︎
4. Ma, Lybi. “Interview: The Fisher Queen.” Psychology Today. ↩︎
5. Fisher, Carrie. Wishful Drinking. Simon & Schuster Inc., 2009. ISBN 9781439153710. ↩︎

External Links

Carrie Fisher’s Official Website

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