Life can be cruel, especially in Hollywood. Far too often we’re forced to watch helplessly as brilliant stars either burn out or fade away. Stars like the iconic Carrie Fisher aka Princess Leia.
Carrie was born into Hollywood royalty but her life was far from idyllic .
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Let’s honor her together with these 10+ facts about the late Carrie Fisher that fans didn’t know.
Carrie used to sing in her mother’s stage act.
It began from the time that Carrie was 13-years-old . Her mother literally used to drag Carrie on stage in the middle of her performances and force her to sing.
Which would emotionally scar me in ways I can’t begin to imagine but Carrie does just fine.
She was told to lose weight for *Star Wars*.
George Lucas wasn’t messing around. He actually sent Carrie away to a “Fat farm” (her words, not mine) in order to slim down for the part of Princess Leia.
According to Carrie, Ladybird Johnson and Ann Landers were also partaking in the camp activities.
Carrie was an author!
You might know her as Princess Leia but Carrie could give James Patterson a run for his money!
She’s written countless semi-autobiographical books over the years, including a memoir that highlights her time making the Star Wars films.
*Star Wars* was her first starring role!
Carrie Fisher went from a relative unknown to a massive international success overnight!
She would go on to appear in a total of five Star Wars films, spanning more than 40 years ! Her legacy will never be forgotten.
Carrie inspired a docuseries called *Looking For Leia*.
Looking for Leia is a seven-episode mini-series that focuses on women and non-binary Star Wars fans as they find common ground through a galaxy far, far away.
All seven episodes are readily available to stream online.
Carrie was born to famous parents.
Carrie’s mother was a woman by the name of Debbie Reynolds . She was an Academy Award-nominated actress known for her small stature and powerful voice.
Debbie died from a stroke exactly one day after Carrie had passed away.
She was a Grammy winner!
I already mentioned earlier that Carrie could really belt out a tune, but her Grammy nominations revealed a different side to her artistic prowess.
Carrie has two nominations for Best Spoken Word Album. She received a posthumous award in 2018.
Carrie had her struggles with drugs and alcohol.
Carrie spent time at a psychiatric hospital where she was treated for drug abuse, as well as bipolar disorder.
She openly admits to using cocaine while she was filming scenes for Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back .
Her big break was in the film *Shampoo*.
The film was a huge success and went on to be nominated for four Oscars the following year.
Carrie had an admittedly small but memorable part playing Lorna.
She had a very interesting Broadway debut.
Most actresses have to work their entire lives to get to Broadway but not Carrie — her career seemed to almost move in reverse.
She dropped out of high school to appear in the musical Irene alongside her mother.
Carrie had her own comedy special.
It was a one-woman, biographical play called ” Wishful Drinking .”
After the show’s positive reception, Carrie also wrote a book of the same name based on her experiences from the play.
There was nothing Carrie couldn’t do.
Carrie had a hard time keeping a secret.
Mark Hamill has revealed that Carrie Fisher had loose lips. He joked that if he and Harrison Fors needed something to get out to the rest of the world quickly, they’d tell Carrie to keep it in confidence.
Rest assured, he did not tell her that Vader was their father.
She revealed a huge on set secret to Stephen Colbert.
Carrie and Harrison Ford truly were a match made in hyperspace.
During an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert , Carrie revealed that she and Harrison did in fact have an affair !
Carrie’s life was saved by Dan Akroyd.
It happened while the pair were filming The Blues Brothers .
All of a sudden, Carrie began to choke on a brussel sprout! Dan Akroyd sprang into action and performed the Heimlich maneuver. Afterward, he asked her to marry him!
She was never a fan of Leia’s buns.
There have been few hairstyles more iconic than Princess Leia’s buns. But Carrie couldn’t care less. According to her, she hated the hairstyle.
When she was asked to reprise her role as Leia, she begged to be allowed to have gray buns. Sadly, her request was denied.
