Author - Fisher, Carrie

Birth: October 21, 1956.

Death: December 27, 2016.

Comments: Carrie Fisher was an American actress and author best known for her role as Princess Leia in the movie Star Wars and its sequels. The daughter of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, Carrie was born Hollywood royalty, with all of the benefits and drawbacks that ensue from that status. She got her first break acting opposite Warren Beatty in the movie Shampoo, and then took the role that defined the rest of her life: Princess Leia. She played Leia in Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, The Return of the Jedi, and The Force Awakens, and essentially became a nerd icon as a result. Though she was a skilled actor, and made notable appearances several in other productions, including The Blues Brothers, Hannah and Her Sisters, and When Harry Met Sally, she is, and probably always will be, remembered as the Princess from Alderaan who became the leader of a Rebellion that toppled an Empire.

Fisher has other talents besides acting, most notably writing. She wrote four novels, and also published four nonfiction books. She was also a scriptwriter, with a handful of screenplays and stage plays to her credit. She was also in demand in Hollywood as a script doctor, and was called in more than once to fix a screenplay that needed work.

Throughout her life, Fisher battled mental illness, which led to her abusing drugs in a kind of vicious feedback cycle. Among the many causes she supported - from LGBT activism to animal rights advocacy - the one that seems to have been most personal was when she spoke out about mental illness and drug addiction, using her own experiences in an effort to remove some of the social stigma of both and encourage treatment for those suffering from them. In December of 2016, Fisher suffered a heart attack while on a flight from London to Los Angeles, and died four days later. Amid speculation that drug use had contributed to her death, her daughter Billie Lourd said, "My mom battled drug addiction and mental illness her entire life. She ultimately died of it." Lourd went on, saying, "She talked about the shame that torments people and their families confronted by these diseases. I know my Mom, she’d want her death to encourage people to be open about their struggles. Seek help, fight for government funding for mental health programs. Shame and those social stigmas are the enemies of progress to solutions and ultimately a cure." After that, there is nothing more one can say.

There is a website dedicated to Fisher named simply Carrie Fisher Fisher's beloved dog Gary is on Twitter. Sort of. Dogs can't type. But he has an account.



My reviews of Carrie Fisher's books:
The Princess Diarist

Other books by Carrie Fisher that I have read but not reviewed:
None

Short fiction by Carrie Fisher appearing in works that I have reviewed:

None

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