Carrie Fisher, who is best known for her portrayal of Princess Leia Organa in the Star Wars franchise, had a complex and controversial relationship with the beloved Sci-Fi series. Her iconic performance in the original trilogy catapulted her to international fame and cemented her place in cinematic history.
Despite the success she recorded, Fisher was always vocal in her criticisms of some of the franchise’s creative decisions and the way her personal life was exploited for its benefit, but she had no option but to stick with it based on her contract.
The late actress revealed while appearing as a guest on the Today show in 2008 that she would have declined the role of Princess Leia if she had known that Star Wars would achieve tremendous success. “I would never have done it,” she told hosts Matt Lauer and Al Roker. “All I did when I was really famous was wait for it to end.”
Fisher further stated that when she auditioned for the role at the age of 19, she was almost denied the opportunity to take part because she was deemed “too fat” even though her height was 5 feet 1 inch and she weighed 105 pounds.
Fisher spoke candidly about her experience wearing the iconic metal bikini in the third film of the Star Wars franchise, Return of the Jedi. In a 1983 interview with People Magazine, she revealed that she was uncomfortable in the costume and found it difficult to move around in. “I started checking for any bounce or slip after takes,” Fisher told the publication. “It was, ‘CUT. Hey, how they doin’? The hooters in place?’”
The late actress further explained that the bikini costume made her feel uneasy because she wasn’t accustomed to wearing it. “‘Where am I in all of this?’ … I have to stay with the slug with the big tongue! Nearly naked, which is not a style choice for me. … It wasn’t my choice,” Fisher said. “When [director George Lucas] showed me the outfit, I thought he was kidding and it made me very nervous. I had to sit very straight because I couldn’t have lines on my sides, like little creases. No creases were allowed, so I had to sit very, very rigid straight.”
The actress revealed in an interview with Newsweek in 2011 that she felt cheated by George Lucas, the creator, and director of the franchise because she received a small percentage of the merchandising revenue from Star Wars compared to the amount earned by Lucasfilm and her Co-stars, Harrison Ford, and Mark Hamill.
“The mistake was I signed away my likeness for free,” Fisher confessed. “In those days, there was no such thing as a ‘likeness,’ which is a funny thing to say coming from the family that I came from. There was no merchandising tied to movies. No one could have known the extent of the franchise. Not that I don’t think I’m cute or anything, but when I looked in the mirror, I didn’t think I was signing away anything of value.”
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