20 things you didn’t know about Carrie Fisher and Star Wars

Carrie Fisher became a global icon as Princess Leia. Her relationship with the franchise was complex. These are the facts behind her time in a galaxy far, far away.

Lucas and costumes

1. She had a love-hate relationship with George Lucas

In her memoir and one-woman show, Wishful Drinking, Fisher told readers that George Lucas ruined her life.

2. She hated the costumes she had to wear

She hated the white dress from A New Hope. She despised the metal bikini in Return of the Jedi most of all. She noted that when she lay down, the metal bikini stayed up, allowing Boba Fett to see all the way to Florida.

Casting and production

3. She has drugs named after her

Fisher discovered a strain of marijuana called Princess Leia. She found out after her daughter’s boyfriend tried to get a discount on it.

4. She beat big names to land the role

More than two dozen actresses auditioned for Princess Leia. The list included Sissy Spacek, Farrah Fawcett, Glenn Close, Jessica Lange, Meryl Streep, Sigourney Weaver, Cybill Shepherd, Jane Seymour, Anjelica Huston, Kim Basinger, Kathleen Turner and Geena Davis.

5. She was forced to strap down her boobs

Her breasts were taped down with gaffer tape. Her costume did not permit any lingerie to be worn underneath. She later joked that there is no underwear in space.

6. She didn’t like her bagel bun hair style

She disliked the bagel bun hairstyle from the original Star Wars. She remained silent about it because she feared George Lucas would get angry and fire her.

On-set realities

7. She clashed with her mother about the role

Budget limits meant American cast and crew flew economy class to England. Her mother, Debbie Reynolds, called George Lucas to complain. Fisher took the phone and told her mother she wanted to fly coach and to fuck off.

8. She thinks she did a bad job playing Leia

She did not consider herself a good actress. She often cited her inconsistent half-British, half-American accent as evidence.

9. She did some of her own stunts

Stunt doubles were not used for the scene where Luke and Leia swing to safety. She and Mark Hamill performed the stunt themselves in one take.

10. Her role was heavily promoted to attract women viewers

Initial research showed only males under 25 were interested in the film. Fox marketed the film to older and female audiences by putting humans like Princess Leia center stage and using mythic tones.

Script and character

11. She loves nerds

She once sarcastically claimed she got the role of Leia by sleeping with some nerd.

12. She found her dialogue a real challenge

After a difficult scene, she told Lucas he could type that stuff but he could not say it.

13. She was nearly cut from the script

Lucas considered changing Luke Skywalker into a woman and removing Princess Leia. He also thought about casting the main characters as dwarfs.

14. She loved arguing with Han Solo

Her favorite moments from the trilogy were the arguing scenes between her and Harrison Ford.

15. Her character never got to meet Obi-Wan Kenobi

The characters never meet. The closest they get is when she sees him from a distance during the lightsaber duel.

Background and personal

16. She has a common ancestry with Mark Hamill

Mark Hamill has Swedish ancestry and Carrie Fisher had Jewish ancestry. In the prequels, their parents were played by Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman, who also have Swedish and Jewish ancestry.

17. In the book, her character is the first to speak

The paperback novelization begins with a prologue recited by Princess Leia. She tells the story of the fall of the Old Republic, the rise of the Empire and the rise of the Rebel Alliance.

18. She wanted to play Han Solo

Fisher read the script aloud with her friend Miguel Ferrer before her audition. They both wanted to play Han Solo.

Struggles and stature

19. She was addicted to cocaine while filming

She revealed a cocaine addiction during the filming of The Empire Strikes Back. She also survived an overdose. She realized she was using more than others and losing her choice in the matter.

For more pop culture deep dives, see these sci-fi opening lines that’ll take your breath away or 22 things you probably didn’t know about James Dean.