Surprising Facts About Carrie Fisher That Even Her Biggest Fans Don’t Know
When people hear the name Carrie Fisher, they immediately think Princess Leia. They think Star Wars. Of course, it's hard not to. The name has become practically synonymous with tight side buns, a flowing white dress, and choking out Jabba the Hutt.
But on top of her success with Star Wars, she had a career outside the iconic film franchise, one that spanned more than 40 years. Even though she has since passed on, her body of work, and the struggles in life she overcame continue to influence and inspire people...
1. Carrie Fisher was outspoken about her struggles with mental health and addiction. She chronicled her bipolar disorder and drug addiction in depth in her memoir, Wishful Drinking. She said, "It is a kind of a virus of the brain."
2. Fisher had to act out many of her scenes in Star Wars with Harrison Ford while standing on top of a box. That's because, at 5'1", she was roughly a foot shorter than he was and the framing would have been off otherwise.
3. Fisher joked about drinking on the set of The Empire Strikes Back. She said, "Mark Hamill was off on Dagobah while Harrison Ford and I were were getting drunk in Cloud City."
4. Fisher found it difficult to verbally spar with Peter Cushing, who played Grand Moff Tarkin in A New Hope. He was so nice to her on set that being fierce with him when cameras were rolling didn't jive with her.