Princess Leia represents fearlessness: First appearing mere minutes after Star Wars’ famous title crawl in an unblemished white dress and with a flawlessly coiffed cinnamon bun hairdo, the resistance fighter battled tirelessly for her beliefs and never failed to choose the righteous path. But where Leia is only fiction, the actress who portrayed her, Carrie Fisher, was a dose of unbridled reality, and her own capacity for humor and courage in the face of adversity continues to inspire millions of fans.
Although Fisher’s Leia made her a world-famous cultural icon, her impact stretches far beyond Hollywood. The actress and award-winning writer spent decades advocating for people with mental illness and substance abuse problems, by giving unflinching yet funny portraits of her own struggles with both. Fisher was one of the first women in Hollywood to be open about having bipolar disorder, which she spoke and wrote about often with unprecedented candor.
In 1987, Fisher published her first novel, the semi-autobiographical tale Postcards From the Edge, which was later adapted into a film starring Meryl Streep. She went on to write screenplays, publish six more books (both fiction and nonfiction), and star in hit films such as When Harry Met Sally. One of her books, the 2008 memoir Wishful Drinking, explored the trials and tribulations of Hollywood life with unapologetic honesty, and was eventually made into a one-woman play and documentary by the same name.
In 2014, Fisher revisited her role as Leia, just two years before her death at the age of 60. Playing a wise leader facing and overcoming adversity was hardly a stretch for the inspiring actress, whose humor and strength were often a source of hope in the darkness.
Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What’s important is the action. You don’t have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will follow.
If anything, my mother taught me how to sur-thrive. That's my word for it.
I am mentally ill. I can say that. I am not ashamed of that. I survived that, I’m still surviving it, but bring it on. Better me than you.
If you look at the person someone chooses to have a relationship with, you’ll see what they think of themselves.
If my life wasn't funny it would just be true, and that is unacceptable.
Sometimes you can only find Heaven by slowly backing away from Hell.
No motive is pure. No one is good or bad — but a hearty mix of both. And sometimes life actually gives to you by taking away.
I was street smart, but unfortunately the street was Rodeo Drive.
The only thing worse than being hurt is everyone knowing that you're hurt.
I don’t hate hardly ever, and when I love, I love for miles and miles. A love so big it should either be outlawed or it should have a capital and its own currency.
You'd think we could remember finding out we weren't immortal. Sometimes I see children sobbing at airports and I think, "Aww. They've just been told."
You're not really famous until you’re a Pez dispenser.
Photo credit: Trinity Mirror / Mirrorpix/ Alamy Stock Photo
