7 Interesting Facts About Carrie Fisher
Image Source: YouTube
Carrie Frances Fisher, better known to most as Princess Leia Organa of the planet Alderaan, was born October 21st, 1956, completely unaware that she would one day star in a franchise destined to make such an impact on the world. However, despite being a princess long before Disney’s acquisition of Star Wars, she was far more than that one role. Fisher lived a storied life both on and off the screen. In remembrance of her iconic legacy, here are seven facts about her life.
7. Born Into Stardom
Image Source: BBC
Although her parents split up when she was young, perhaps it was fate that Carrie Fisher graced the stage in her life after being born to actress Debbie Reynolds and singer Eddie Fisher. Raised primarily by her mother, Fisher was around show business all her life. In 1973, she dropped out of high school to star alongside her mother in the Broadway show Irene. Her first onstage appearance and would soon lead to her film debut in the social comedy Shampoo in 1975. Two years later she would, of course, land the role of Princess Leia, and the rest as they say, is history.
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6. Near-death Experiences And Love With Dan Aykroyd
Image Source: ABC News
Legally, Carrie Fisher was only married once, but Paul Simon was not the only man in Fisher's life. There was also Bryan Lourd with whom she had her daughter Billie Lourd but never actually married. And then there was a third man whom she was briefly engaged to in 1980, Dan Aykroyd. The two had been dating for a short time and were on the set of The Blues Brothers when Fisher began choking on some Brussels sprouts. Aykroyd sprang to action, saving her life and then proposing on the spot. She said yes, but the two never made it to the final “I Do’s.”
5. Even Princesses Need Support
Image Source: TODAY Show
Towards the end of her life, Fisher leaned on her French bulldog Gary for support. The two were practically inseparable with Fisher going as far as to bring Gary with her to most of her appearances and interviews. Since her passing, it is believed that Gary is now living with her daughter Billie.
4. Royal Secrets
Image Source: The Verge
Just five weeks before her passing on December 27, 2016, Fisher released a memoir based on journals and diary entries from her time filming the original Star Wars trilogy. Amongst the thoughts of a young Carrie Fisher, a scandalous secret was revealed. In her memoir, she detailed an affair with co-star Harrison Ford, who was married with children at the time. By Fisher’s account, the affair lasted only a few short months, and she had even forgotten all about it until finding her old writings.
3. Celebrity Besties
Image Source: Radio Times
Not all relationships have to be romantic, and that is just the sentiment Carrie Fisher expressed in regard to her close and personal friend, James Blunt. Meeting in the early 2000s as Blunt was getting ready to record his debut album, Fisher offered Blunt a place to stay, which he gratefully accepted. Never progressing beyond a wonderful friendship the two remained very close throughout life, with Blunt even naming Fisher the godmother of his firstborn child.
2. Made For More Than The Screen
Image Source: Jess Freda
Carrie Fisher had many talents off-screen, most notably her skill on the page. At a young age, Fisher was a very engaged reader, dabbling in poetry in her spare time. Then in 1987, she earned critical acclaim for her novel Postcards from the Edge. The story drew heavy influence from her own life experiences, specifically the struggles of being raised by an actress and drug addiction. Eventually, the novel even got a film adaptation starring Meryl Streep. Postcards from the Edge was not Fisher’s only foray into the writing world. She wrote a sequel as well as other standalone novels. In addition, she was known to help polish the screenplays of other writers in the industry.
1. Three-sport Entertainer
Image Source: Entertainment Weekly
With writing and stage performance already in the bag, Carrie Fisher also recorded audiobooks. Fisher, of course, found success in this endeavor as well, garnering a Grammy nomination in 2010 for the reading of her own autobiography Wishful Drinking. In 2018, Fisher was not only nominated for the reading of her memoir The Princess Diarist but was actually awarded the honor posthumously.
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Source(s): Britannica, Eighties Kids, Little Things, Wikipedia