Carrie Fisher (1956 – 2016) was an actress, author, and screenwriter best known for her indelible portrayal of Princess Leia in the Star Wars film franchise. She also earned acclaim for her writing, winning a Best Spoken Word Album Grammy Award for her memoir The Princess Diarist.
Born in Burbank, California, to singer Eddie Fisher and actress Debbie Reynolds, Fisher was raised in the world of film, theater, and television.
Her parents divorced when Fisher was two years old, and as a young girl she was an avid reader, finding solace in poetry and classic literature.
At age 16, she made her Broadway debut in the revival Irene, starring her mother. The show was an instant hit, with 594 performances during its run.
In 1975 she made her first film appearance, opposite Warren Beatty in the Oscar-nominated Shampoo, bringing a boldness to the role that put her firmly on Hollywood’s radar.
Fisher shot to international fame alongside her Star Wars costars Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill in 1977, when George Lucas’ science-fiction film became a surprise blockbuster. She was still a teenager when she filmed the movie that would catapult her from celebrity daughter to movie icon almost overnight.
Fisher returned as Princess Leia in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). Her brave and independent character became iconic, with countless girls emulating her and Leia action figures flying off toy store shelves. Fisher often joked that it was actually Princess Leia who became famous, and she just happened to look like her.
Fisher also starred in such hits as The Blues Brothers, When Harry Met Sally, and Hannah and Her Sisters. Her television credits include Laverne & Shirley, Sex and the City, and 30 Rock, for which she received an Emmy nomination.
An accomplished writer who often drew from her own experiences, Fisher netted the Los Angeles PEN Award for Best First Novel in 1988 for her bestselling Postcards from the Edge. She later wrote the screenplay for the Oscar-nominated film of the same name, starring Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine. Six more novels and memoirs followed.
Fisher’s autobiographical one-woman show Wishful Drinking, which she also turned into a memoir, had a successful Broadway run and was filmed for HBO, earning two Emmy nominations in 2011.
A supporter of women’s empowerment, animal rights, and LGBTQ causes, Fisher was especially vocal about mental health, sharing her own struggles with bipolar disorder and addiction to raise awareness and understanding of these often-taboo issues.
Late in her career, Fisher reprised the role of Leia, now known as General Leia Organa, in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and in The Last Jedi (2017), which she finished filming shortly before her death. She also appeared posthumously in The Rise of Skywalker (2019) through the use of unreleased footage from the 2015 film.
On May 4th, known by fans as Star Wars Day, in 2023 Fisher was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her daughter, actress Billie Lourd, accepted the award on her behalf as Star Wars characters R2-D2, C-3PO and a stormtrooper looked on.