On December 27th 2016, Carrie Fisher, known for her role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars franchise, passed away at age 60. She drowned in moonlight, strangled by her own bra. Well, that’s what she wants you to think anyway. In her first memoir, Wishful Drinking, Carrie said “I want it reported that I drowned in moonlight, strangled by my own bra” in the event of her death. So there you have it.
Carrie was born on October 21st 1956 in Beverly Hills to pop singer Eddie Fisher and movie star Debbie Reynolds. Her incredibly famous parents meant she was somewhat of a shadow until she was cast as Princess Leia in Star Wars in 1977.
Princess Leia is a remarkable and iconic character. She is powerful, witty, funny, sassy, strong, intelligent, vulnerable, loving, tough and feisty. She doesn’t stand and wait for her knight in shining armour to save her; she fights her own battles, stands up for herself and finds her own escape routes. She uses the anger she feels from her planet being destroyed and puts it into fighting the Evil Empire. And when she became General Leia Organa, she continued to stand up and fight. She remains as strong as ever even after she’s lost everything. She’s a feminist icon.
But the most important thing Carrie did was be unapologetically herself.
Much like her character Leia, Carrie herself was a feminist icon. She battled drug addiction and lived with Bipolar Disorder, both of which were prevalent at the time she did the Star Wars films. She dedicated her life and online platform to raising awareness for her past addictions with cocaine and prescription drugs and her lifelong illness Bipolar Disorder. She spoke about them openly and with honestly. She wasn’t afraid. She owned her mental illness and was proof that it is possible to be successful, loved and live life to the fullest with one. Carrie stood up for herself and she stood up for others. She was outspoken and didn’t conform to society’s beauty standards. She didn’t give a single fuck.
Carrie was also an author, a screenwriter and a comic. She used her life experiences and turned them into novels, memoirs, movies and plays. Her work was poignant and honest, yet strikingly hilarious and helpful. She made so many people feel comfortable with themselves. She made so many people laugh and feel hope. She gave us so much. She was strong, fiery and a true force to be reckoned with. She will truly be missed by so many different people over a wide range of generations.
She was everything.
Leave a Reply