12 Quotes That Reveal the Humor and Courage of Carrie Fisher
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.
