Star Wars turned around Carrie Fisher’s fortune in Hollywood, but there’s considerable doubt about whether she was up for the role. While she maintained a good relationship with her director and co-stars, and spoke highly of her character Princess Leia, Fisher regretted accepting the role in George Lucas’s epic space franchise. The reason was the fame and personal challenges that accompanied the role.
Fisher was only 19 when she joined the ensemble film, where she was paired with Harrison Ford, who played Han Solo. Fans celebrated the two actor’s on-screen romantic chemistry. Fisher later revealed that she had an affair with Ford at the time when he was married with children.
Carrie Fisher Regretted Accepting Her Star Wars Role
Carrie Fisher never thought twice to speak her truth throughout her life. While promoting her 2008 memoir, Wishful Drinking, on the TODAY show, host Matt Lauer asked her if she had anticipated the level of fame the role would bring her. Surprisingly, Fisher replied that had she known, she would never have accepted the role. Furthermore, she added that once she took on the role, all she did was wait to get it over with. Fisher shared with Lauer on TODAY:
“No! I would never have done it! And all I did when I was really famous was wait for it to end. Because it knew that was coming up.”
Fisher revealed to Lauer that as an adolescent, she wanted to get away from the celebrity life. She revealed that she saw her parents’ heartbreak when they couldn’t get as much work. Fisher was the daughter of actors Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds. Moreover, she struggled with bipolar disorder and addiction, which she revealed in her memoir (via CBS News). All of these factors proved too much for a 19-year-old Fisher, who quickly grew to resent the Star Wars fame.
However, Fisher didn’t hate everything about her Star Wars character. While promoting her 2016 book The Princess Diarist, Fisher shared with NPR that she liked the character of Princess Leia. She admired how the character handled things and treated people. However, Fisher was not a big fan of the hairstyle and some of the costume choices. She told NPR:
“The downside is the hair and some of the outfits. But I like Princess Leia. I like how she handles things. I like how she treats people. I — she tells the truth. She, you know, gets what she wants done.”
In the same interview, she also regretted her decision to reveal the affair between her and Harrison Ford during the first film. She shared that she felt like she had ambushed Ford with the revelation. Fisher shared on multiple occasions that she didn’t expect this secret to cause such a stir even after years. Unfortunately, she passed away just weeks after the book was published.
Carrie Fisher Felt Cheated Out Of The Films’ Merchandise Profits
Carrie Fisher was not just disappointed by the fame of her Star Wars role, she was also disappointed with signing away her likeness for free. She revealed in an interview with Newsweek in 2011 that George Lucas stole her “identity” without compensating her properly. Fisher received only a small portion of the profits made using her likeness, unlike Lucasfilm and her co-stars. She revealed that she “teased George Lucas about this over the years, but he’s never been apologetic.”
Carrie Fisher also humorously mentioned that she would be annoyed if Natalie Portman was getting paid for Princess Amidala’s likeness. Fisher shared with Newsweek:
“Every so often, I wonder if Natalie Portman is getting more money than the none I’m getting. If she’s holding a check for Princess Amidala’s likeness in one hand and her Oscar in the other, that would piss me off.”
Carrie Fisher didn’t hold back in addressing the issue during a roast at the AFI Life Achievement Award, where she playfully teased George Lucas. Making references to everyday products that featured Princess Leia’s likeness, she remarked, “I signed my likeness away. Every time I look in the mirror, I have to send Lucas a couple of bucks.”
Carrie Fisher’s performance in the Star Wars movies can be now enjoyed by streaming on Disney+.
