Carrie Fisher Post

In Memory of Carrie Fisher

10/21/56- 12/27/16

I remember when I first saw Carrie Fisher, it was when I was a little girl watching Star Wars for the very first time. Her with her hair in buns on the side of her head, long white dress, and snapping at her rescuers.  For most of my life I knew Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia, as many others have. My brother and I became obssessed with the Star Wars movies and she became one of the people I looked up to. Princess Leia was a hero to me from that age on because she wasn't like many I had seen before. I remember when I first found out Carrie's name and realized that someone that I looked up to so much had the same name as me (well at least the actress playing her did). Little eight year old me (I'm not sure of my exact age at the time) was so excited when I read that in the credits. 

So it took me many years to actually get really into Carrie as a person and not just as the character of Leia. I had seen her many other movies but she'd always be Princess Leia to me. I believe that I was nineteen when I first watched her HBO documentary Wishful Drinking based on her memoir of the same name. This is also when I picked up the memoir and became totally obsessed with her type of humor. I love snarkness and she was one of the best at it. The memoir is about her life as a child of famous A-List celebrities, Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher. It's funny I loved Debbie from Disney Channel's Halloweentown movies and Carrie from Star Wars and it took me until I was probably thirteen or fourteen to even realize that they were mother and daughter. 

Last year, I remember first hearing about Carrie's death on the tv. For about a week she was not doing too well and I remember saying I hope that she'll be okay. I never actually got to meet Carrie and I wish that I could have. From an early age, she was one of the people that I always looked up to as a character but also then as a person. Carrie was not perfect and admitted to her every fault with such sincerity. She was someone who was always able to speak her mind and that's something that I admire so much. I didn't know at the time of her death how to react. People will say why do you care so much, it's not like you actually knew her. No, I didn't but I really felt like I did. I grew up with her as a person that admired for a majority of my life. Then as I grew older I learned of some of the things she had done in her past that were not always the best. This all made her more human and not any less of someone that I looked up to. Her pressence and effect will always be missed. 

It was hard watching her as Leia again in The Last Jedi but also so great. She was just as incredible to me in that movie as she was in all those previously. Her own humor and loving nature showed through and I was very pleased that I got to see her final performance. She was wonderful. I have loved watching Carrie perform as the many characters that she portrayed but also talk about her life. And today one a year later, I'm sad to know that she's not alive but am also happy to know that I got to know this famous actress, even if that was only from movies, books, and shows. She is truly missed.