The world is still reeling from the loss of David Bowie, Prince and George Michael. We’re still cursing 2016 for taking away so many beloved actors and musicians. And now it’s Carrie Fisher, who was best known for her iconic role as Princess Leia from the Star Wars series. She passed away after suffering a heart attack during a flight.
In the final moments of the new Star Wars: Rogue One – now playing in theatres – you see a young digitally recreated Princess Leia looking like Carrie Fisher circa 1977. She leaves a message for the world, one of hope that’s a throwback to the first Star Wars film. It’s also a great tribute to how Fisher transformed that role. The actor took on playing Princess Leia when she was just 19 years old. Rather that conform to that same old princess in distress trope, Princess Leia was a certified bad-ass and a fighter to the core. Her personality is perhaps best illustrated in a scene from Episode IV: A New Hope (originally called Star Wars ) where she saves her rescuers with the line, “Well, somebody has to save our skins. Into the garbage chute, fly-boy!” after which she jumped in.
One of cinema's best moments saw Leia strangling Jabba the Hutt with her own slave chain, while rocking a metal bikini. It was that outfit that ushered a generation into puberty whilst being an outfit that Fisher famously hated. Over the years, the fame of Princess Leia was something Fisher came to terms with, but that bikini would transform into a powerful symbol of feminism from an outfit she constantly jibed at. She even advised her co-star Daisy Ridley (who starred in Star Wars: The Force Awakens ) about never being a “slave to the outfit, and to keep fighting it”. Fisher referred to the gold bikini as “What supermodels will eventually wear in the seventh ring of hell”, in an essay in Newsweek .
Fisher was a dynamic and outspoken personality with blazing wit. She was a fantastic actress that brought life to her roles, after which she took solace in writing books and screenplays. Her published works were all focused on her personal life and struggles with bipolar disorder, addiction to drugs and prescription pills. She was very candid about frequently undergoing shock therapy for her problems. It was something that Fisher came to terms with over the course of her life. Even now, when promoting her new book, The Princess Diarist , Fisher was vocal about her life and short affair with co-star Harrison Ford. But she was especially vociferous about her disapproval of President-Elect Donald Trump.
A child of Hollywood, Fisher was born to singer Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds. Her father famously left the family to be with Elizabeth Taylor. Fisher's breakout role was in Star Wars, after which she shot to fame. She was involved on and off with Paul Simon, from musical duo Simon & Garfunkel. Simon wrote the song ‘Hearts and Bones’ and ‘She Moves on’ about their relationship. She was also engaged to Dan Aykroyd for a while.
Early on December 27, the world lost a true princess and a superb human being. Fisher was more than just Leia, she was an amazing author, writer, actor and orator who never held herself back. May the Force be with you Carrie Fisher, wherever you are, forever and always.
The author is a freelance tech and lifestyle writer
