Carrie Fisher

Carrie Frances Fisher (October 21, 1956 – December 27, 2016) was an American actress and writer. She was the daughter of singer Eddie Fisher and actress Debbie Reynolds. Fisher achieved global recognition for playing Princess Leia in the original Star Wars films and reprised the role in later installments of the franchise. Beyond acting, she established herself as a novelist, screenwriter, and prominent Hollywood script doctor.

Fisher was born at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California. Her paternal grandparents were Russian-Jewish immigrants, while her mother was of English and Scots-Irish descent. Her parents divorced in 1959, after which her father married Elizabeth Taylor, and later Connie Stevens, giving Fisher two half-sisters. Her mother remarried Harry Karl in 1960. As a child, Fisher spent her time reading classic literature and writing poetry. She attended Beverly Hills High School until age 16, when she appeared in the Broadway revival Irene alongside her mother. She later trained at London's Central School of Speech and Drama and briefly attended Sarah Lawrence College.

Fisher made her feature film debut in the 1975 comedy Shampoo. Her major breakthrough came in 1977 when she starred as Princess Leia in George Lucas' space opera film Star Wars. During the late 1970s, she also appeared in television productions, including the special Ringo, the TV film Leave Yesterday Behind, an adaptation of Come Back, Little Sheba, and the Star Wars Holiday Special.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Fisher reprised her role as Princess Leia in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). Her other acting roles included performances in films such as The Blues Brothers, Hannah and Her Sisters, The 'Burbs, When Harry Met Sally..., Drop Dead Fred, and Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. She also appeared in Broadway shows like Censored Scenes from King Kong and Agnes of God.

Fisher published her first semi-autobiographical novel, Postcards from the Edge, in 1987, receiving the Los Angeles Pen Award for Best First Novel. She wrote the screenplay for its 1990 film adaptation, earning a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. She authored additional novels, including Surrender the Pink, Delusions of Grandma, and The Best Awful There Is. Fisher was also a prominent script doctor for roughly fifteen years, polishing screenplays for films such as Hook, Sister Act, The Wedding Singer, and several Star Wars entries.

In 2006, Fisher wrote and performed her autobiographical one-woman stage show Wishful Drinking, which ran on Broadway. She published a book of the same name in 2008, and its audiobook earned a Grammy nomination. Her television work included guest spots on 30 Rock, Family Guy, Sex and the City, and Catastrophe. She also returned to the Star Wars franchise, appearing in The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker.

Fisher earned praise for publicly discussing her experiences with bipolar disorder and drug addiction. In December 2016, she died at age 60 following a sudden cardiac arrest after a transatlantic flight from London to Los Angeles. Posthumously, she and her mother were featured in the 2016 documentary Bright Lights. Fisher received nominations for Primetime Emmy Awards, and posthumously earned a Disney Legend honor in 2017, a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album in 2018, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023.