Celebrating Carrie Fisher

CAIRO – 21 October 2017: October 21 is the day Carrie Fisher, the celebrated Star Wars actress, was born. Her life lit up the world for 66 years until her death last year. Yet she was far more than just a Star Wars icon; she also had numerous acclaimed roles and authored books on her life.

Fisher was born in 1956 in Los Angeles, California to famous parents; singer Eddie Fisher and acclaimed actress Debbie Reynolds. Her father left the family after a highly publicized affair with Elizabeth Taylor, leaving Reynolds alone to raise her daughter. This helped plant the seed of fierce independence Fisher would be so known for. She held a vested interest in reading and writing, and decided to follow her mother into show business.

Her acting debut was alongside Reynolds in the theatre play “Irene” when she was 15 years old, and her film debut was 1975’s “Shampoo,” which helped put into wheels the start of a truly magnificent career. Set during election day in 1968, the film follows the antics of a sleazy hairdresser in Beverly Hills. Fisher’s role was minor, playing a teenager, but it was enough to get her noticed for what would be an unimaginably life-changing part; Star Wars.



Fisher auditioned for the role of Princess Leia in 1977’s “a New Hope” when she was 19, opposite co-star Harrison Ford, who portrayed famous scoundrel Han Solo and Leia’s future lover. And indeed, the real life chemistry between the two actors was also steamy, lasting for three months onset. The film became a wild blockbuster success and, alongside lead star Mark Hamill, Fisher and Ford became pop culture legends.



Her role as the tough-yet-kind princess-turned-rebel-fighter was an inspiration to women all over, and Fisher was on-board for the franchise’s next installment, 1980’s “Empire Strikes Back” and 1983’s “Return of the Jedi.”

Outside of Star Wars, Fisher continued to act in a variety of film roles, her popularity so high that just being in a film for a cameo was enough to bring attention, such as with 1980’s “the Blues Brothers,” where she was an unnamed mystery woman. She would also land more major roles such as in 1989’s romantic comedy classic “When Harry Met Sally.”



Fisher had also begun publishing, with her first novel “Postcards from the Edge” coming out in 1987. The book was a semi-autobiographical account of Fishers complicated relationship with her mother and her recovery from drug addiction. The book was later adapted into a 1990 film featuring Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine, Dennis Quaid, Gene Hackman. Fisher wrote the screenplay for the film, which would be nominated for two Oscars.



As talented a writer as she was an actor, Fisher would go on to rewrite various film scripts, including for films such as Whoopi Goldberg’s “Sister Act” (1992) and Adam Sandler’s “the Wedding Singer” (1998). Ever the comedian, Fisher would cameo in various TV shows such as “Family Guy” and “30 Rock.” She would continue to publish as well, her writing heavily based on her own experiences and struggles. In November 2016, a month before her death, Fisher would release her final book, “the Princess Diarist,” derived from the diaries she wrote while filming “a New Hope.”

Fisher is survived by her daughter, Billie Lourd, beloved pet dog Gary, and her brother Todd Fisher. Her mother passed away a day after Fisher did, and the two are buried together in the same cemetery.