A Long Time Ago In A Galaxy Far, Far Away….
On December 27th of last year, Carrie Fisher, perhaps best known as Princess Leia from the Star Wars franchise, left this mortal world. She appeared in nearly fifty feature films, and had almost fifty starring and guest roles on television. She also authored multiple fiction and non-fiction books including Postcards From The Edge and The Princess Diarist. She was a playwright, screenplay writer, and script doctor. Fisher was also very vocal about her struggles with drug abuse and bipolar disorder.
Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher
She also came from a famous family. Her father, Eddie Fisher, was an extremely popular singer who charted multiple hits in the 1950’s. Her mother, Debbie Reynolds, was an actor, singer, film historian and preservationist, and a businesswoman. Reynolds’ acting career spanned almost seventy years. She tragically died the day after Carrie on December 28th.
Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher
As stated before, Fisher had roles in nearly one hundred films and television programs, but it was her role as Princess Leia (later to be known as General Leia) that put her into the hearts of nerds and geeks the world over.
With the announcement of her death, fan and professional tributes took over social media, television, and radio. The bulk of these tributes focused on her role as Leia and her outspokenness on the topics of mental disorders and drug addiction. Some of them focused on her many relationships over the years. A few even went so far as to say that we needed to forget the princess version of her and focus on the hardened general that she portrayed in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Obviously those people knew her as a princess in title only, as Princess Leia was definitely one of the toughest, bravest characters in all of Star Wars canon and in the expanded universe as well.
Sure, General Leia was a strong character, but Princess Leia, OUR Princess Leia, was the character that stood up to Darth Vader, called the mighty Chewbacca a “walking carpet” with absolutely zero fear, and took control of her own rescue as well. Princess Leia stole the heart of a “scruffy-looking nerf herder” named Han Solo, and led the Rebellion and the Resistance in their darkest hours. Without our Princess Leia, General Leia would have never been created.
Please, never, ever forget the princess version of Leia. The character shows young girls and young boys that just because you might be a pretty little princess in name, you can be a fearless warrior in action.
Carrie Fisher was a lovely woman both inside and out. She was raw, honest, and exceptionally humorous as well. Fisher’s death brought a tear to my eye. Not because the world lost an actress that portrayed a beloved character, but like Leonard Nimoy, she was a beloved human being, warts and all.
Carrie Fisher will be sorely missed. Few actors and actresses live lives that are bolder than those of the characters that they portray. For a woman that portrayed the daughter of one of the most feared Sith Lords of all time and the brother of the Jedi that brought balance back to the Force, Fisher was truly a bold person in reality.
May the Force be with you Carrie Fisher. Rest in peace.
Ken's Alternate Universe! 