Carrie Fisher Biography
Date of Birth
21 October 1956, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA
Birth Name
Carrie Frances Fisher
Height
5' 1" (1.55 m)
Mini Biography
Carrie Frances Fisher (born October 21, 1956) is an American actress, novelist, screenwriter, and lecturer. She is most famous for her portrayal of Princess Leia Organa in the original Star Wars trilogy, her bestselling novel Postcards from the Edge, for which she wrote the screenplay to the film of the same name, and her autobiography Wishful Drinking.
Early life
Fisher was born in Beverly Hills, California, the daughter of singer Eddie Fisher and actress Debbie Reynolds. She was raised Protestant, though her paternal grandparents were Russian Jewish immigrants. Her younger brother is Todd Fisher and her half-sisters are actresses Joely Fisher and Tricia Leigh Fisher. Joely and Tricia's mother is the singer/actress Connie Stevens.
When Carrie Fisher was two, her parents divorced after her father left Debbie for her best friend, actress Elizabeth Taylor, the widow of Eddie's best friend Mike Todd. The following year, her mother married shoe store chain owner Harry Karl, who secretly spent her life savings. It was assumed from an early age that Carrie would go into the family show business, and she began appearing with her mother in Las Vegas, Nevada at the age of 12. She attended Beverly Hills High School, but she left to join her mother on the road. She appeared as a debutante and singer in the hit Broadway revival Irene (1973), starring her mother.
Career
1970s
In 1973, Fisher enrolled at London's Central School of Speech and Drama, which she attended for 18 months. She made her film debut in the Columbia comedy Shampoo (1975) starring Warren Beatty, Julie Christie and Goldie Hawn, with Lee Grant and Jack Warden. In 1977, Fisher starred as Princess Leia Organa in George Lucas' science fiction film Star Wars (later retitled Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope) opposite Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford, a part she sarcastically claims to have obtained by sleeping "with some nerd."
In May 1978, she appeared alongside John Ritter in the ABC-TV film Leave Yesterday Behind as a horse trainer who helps Ritter's character after an accident leaves him a paraplegic.
The huge success of Star Wars made her internationally famous. The character of Princess Leia became a merchandising triumph; there were small plastic action figures of the Princess in toy stores across the United States. She appeared as Princess Leia in the 1978 made-for-TV film, The Star Wars Holiday Special. At this time, Fisher appeared with Laurence Olivier and Joanne Woodward in the anthology series Laurence Olivier Presents in a television version of the William Inge play Come Back, Little Sheba.
In November 1978, Fisher was the guest host for Saturday Night Live with musical guests The Blues Brothers and special guest Don Novello as Father Guido Sarducci. Dressed in a gold bikini, she reprised her Princess Leia character from Star Wars in "Beach Blanket Bimbo from Outer Space", a parody sketch of 1960s beach party film. Bill Murray and Gilda Radner imitated the Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello characters. John Belushi played biker Eric Von Zipper, and Dan Aykroyd, with whom Fisher was romantically involved, portrayed Vincent Price.
Fisher appeared in the music video for Ringo Starr's cover of "You're Sixteen" as the love interest in 1978 on his TV special of that year.
1980s
Fisher later appeared in The Blues Brothers film in a cameo role as Joliet Jake's vengeful ex-lover, listed in the credits as "Mystery Woman". She appeared on Broadway in Censored Scenes from King Kong in 1980. That year, she appeared again as Princess Leia in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. She made her third and final appearance as Leia in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, for which she became a sex symbol due to her appearance wearing a golden metal bikini (the slave girl outfit which almost immediately rose to pop culture icon status). She is one of the few actors or actresses to star in films with both John and James Belushi, later appearing with the latter in the film The Man with One Red Shoe. She also was a replacement in the Broadway production of Agnes of God (1982). She appeared in the Woody Allen film Hannah and her Sisters in 1986.
In 1987, Fisher published her first novel, Postcards from the Edge. The book was semi-autobiographical in the sense that she fictionalized and satirized real life events such as her drug addiction of the late 1970s. It became a bestseller, and she received the Los Angeles Pen Award for Best First Novel. Also during 1987, she was in the Australian film The Time Guardian. In 1989, Fisher played a major supporting role in When Harry Met Sally, and in the same year, she appeared opposite Tom Hanks as his wife in The 'Burbs.
1990s
In 1990, Columbia Pictures released a film version of Postcards from the Edge, adapted for the screen by Fisher and starring Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine, and Dennis Quaid. She also appeared in the fantasy comedy film Drop Dead Fred in 1991. In 1997, Fisher appeared as a therapist in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. During the 1990s, Fisher also published the novels Surrender the Pink (1991) and Delusions of Grandma (1993).
2000s
In the film Scream 3 (2000), Fisher played an actress mistaken for Carrie Fisher. Director's commentary on the Scream 3 DVD suggests that the sequence was in fact penned by Fisher herself.
In 2001, Fisher played a nun in the Kevin Smith comedy Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. The title spoofs The Empire Strikes Back and the film, which includes Mark Hamill, satirizes many Hollywood movies, including the Star Wars series.
She also co-wrote the TV comedy film These Old Broads (2001), of which she was also co-executive producer. It starred her mother, Debbie Reynolds, as well as Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Collins and Shirley MacLaine. In this, Taylor's character, an agent, explains to Reynolds' character, an actress, that she was in an alcoholic blackout when she married the actress's husband, "Freddy".
Besides acting and writing original works, Fisher was one of the top script doctor in Hollywood, working on the screenplays of other writers. She has done uncredited polishes on movies starting with The Wedding Singer and Sister Act, and was hired by the creator of Star Wars, George Lucas, to polish scripts for his 1992 TV series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. Her expertise in this area was why she was chosen as one of the interviewers for the screenwriting documentary Dreams on Spec in 2007. However, during an interview in 2004 she said that she no longer does much script doctoring.
Fisher also voices Peter Griffin's boss Angela on the animated sitcom Family Guy and appeared in a book of photographs titled Hollywood Moms (2001) for which she wrote the introduction. Fisher published a sequel to Postcards, The Best Awful There Is in 2004. In August 2006, Fisher appeared prominently in the audience of the Comedy Central's Roast of William Shatner.
Fisher wrote and performed in her one-woman play Wishful Drinking at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles from November 7, 2006, to January 14, 2007. Her show played at the Berkeley Repertory Theater through April 2008, followed by performances in San Jose, California in July 2008, Hartford Stage in August 2008 before moving on to the Arena Stage in Washington, DC in September 2008 and Boston in October 2008. Fisher published her autobiographical book, called Wishful Drinking based on her successful play in December 2008 and embarked on a media tour. On April 2, 2009, Fisher returned to the stage with her play at the Seattle Repertory Theatre with performances through May 9, 2009. On October 4, 2009, Wishful Drinking then opened on Broadway in New York at Studio 54 and played an extended run until January 17, 2010. In December 2009, Fisher's bestselling memoir Wishful Drinking earned her a nomination for a 2010 Grammy Award in the Best Spoken Word Album category.
In 2007, she was a full-time judge on FOX's filmmaking-competition reality television series On the Lot.
Fisher joined Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne on Saturday evenings for The Essentials with informative and entertaining conversation on Hollywood's best films. She guest-starred in the episode titled "Sex and Another City" from season 3 of Sex and the City with Sarah Jessica Parker. This episode also featured Vince Vaughn, Hugh Hefner and Sam Seder in guest roles. On October 25, 2007, Fisher guest-starred as Rosemary Howard on the second season episode of 30 Rock called "Rosemary's Baby", for which she received an Emmy Award nomination. Her last line in the show was a spoof from Star Wars: "Help me Liz Lemon, You're my only hope!". On April 28, 2008, she was a guest on Deal or No Deal. In 2008, she also had a cameo as a doctor in the Star Wars related comedy Fanboys.
Fisher's Wishful Drinking will air as a feature-length documentary on HBO.
Fisher will appear on the seventh season of Entourage in the summer of 2010.
Fisher appeared at Dragon*Con in September 2011 in Atlanta, sitting in on various panels, most having to do with Star Wars and her writings. She is again struggling with weight and appeared to be smoking and disoriented during several of her talks.
Personal life
Fisher was briefly engaged to the actor and comedian Dan Aykroyd, who proposed on the set of their film The Blues Brothers in 1980. She has stated: "We had rings, we got blood tests, the whole shot. But then I got back together with Paul Simon."
Fisher dated musician Paul Simon from 1977 until 1983, then was married to him from August 1983 to July 1984, and they dated again for a time after their divorce. During their marriage, she appeared in Simon's music video for the song "Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog after the War". She is referenced in many of Simon's songs, including "Hearts and Bones", "Graceland", "She Moves On" and "Allergies".
Subsequently, she had a relationship with Creative Artists Agency principal and casting agent Bryan Lourd. They had one child together, Billie Catherine Lourd (born July 17, 1992). The couple's relationship ended when Lourd left to be in a homosexual relationship. Though Fisher has described Lourd as her second husband in interviews, according to a 2004 profile of the actress and writer, she and Lourd were never legally married.
Fisher also had a close relationship with James Blunt. While working on his album Back to Bedlam in 2003, Blunt spent much of his time at Fisher's residence. Vanity Fair's George Wayne wanted Fisher to explain if their relationship was sexual. Fisher dismissed the suggestion: "Absolutely not, but I did become his therapist. He was a soldier. This boy has seen awful stuff. Every time James hears fireworks or anything like that, his heart beats faster, and he gets 'fight or flight'. You know, he comes from a long line of soldiers dating back to the 10th century. He would tell me these horrible stories. He was a captain, a reconnaissance soldier. I became James’s therapist. So it would have been unethical to sleep with my patient."
On February 26, 2005, R. Gregory "Greg" Stevens, a lobbyist and advisor for the Republican Party, was found dead in Fisher's California home due to an overdose of OxyContin compounded by obstructive sleep apnea. In an interview, Fisher claimed that Stevens' ghost haunted her mansion. Fisher was unsettled by this: "I was a nut for a year," she explained, "and in that year I took drugs again."
Fisher has described herself as an "enthusiastic agnostic who would be happy to be shown that there is a God." She was raised Protestant, but often attends Jewish services, the faith of her father, with Orthodox friends.
Bipolar disorder and drug problems
Fisher has publicly discussed her problems with drugs, her struggle with bipolar disorder, and her overcoming an addiction to prescription medication, most notably on ABC's 20/20 and The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive with Stephen Fry for the BBC. She discussed her new memoir Wishful Drinking and various topics in it with Matt Lauer on NBC's Today on December 10, 2008. This interview was followed by a similar appearance on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on December 12, 2008 where she discussed her electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) treatments. She has said that she receives ECT every six weeks to "blow apart the cement" in her brain. Fisher spoke about Wishful Drinking on NPR's Talk of the Nation on December 16, 2008. She also spoke about her life and troubles on the NPR quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! on January 31, 2009.
Weight problems
In recent years, she has been battling weight gain since touring with her one-woman show, topping out at 180 pounds. She's currently the new spokesperson for Jenny Craig, Inc.. Television ads began airing in late January 2011.
Cocaine addiction
While in Sydney, Australia, Fisher revealed in another interview that she had a cocaine addiction during filming of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, and also survived an overdose. "Slowly, I realized I was doing a bit more drugs than other people and losing my choice in the matter" she said in an interview.
Source
The Mini Biography is from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_Fisher. IMDb is not affiliated with, and neither endorses, nor is endorsed by Wikipedia or any of the authors who contributed to this article. The Wikipedia content may be available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, version 3.0 or any later version, available at: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/. Additional or other terms may apply. See Wikipedia Terms of Use for details. This webpage may use the Freebase schema, licensed under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/.
Spouse
Paul Simon (16 August 1983 - July 1984) (divorced)
Trade Mark
Princess Leia Organa in the Star Wars films
Trivia
Checked into substance-abuse program, addiction to prescription drugs. [October 1998]
Daughter of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher.
Father Eddie Fisher left when she was 3 years old to marry Elizabeth Taylor.
Has a daughter Billie Catherine (with Bryan Lourd) born in 1992.
Older half-sister of Joely Fisher and Tricia Leigh Fisher.
Older sister of Todd Fisher.
The punk rock group Blink 182 wrote a song called "A New Hope" in which Fisher's character "Princess Leia" is the lead singer's dream girl.
Made stage debut in the chorus of "Irene" (1975) starring her mother, Debbie Reynolds.
Half-sister-in-law of Christopher Duddy and Byron Thames.
Attended The Central School of Speech and Drama in London.
Appeared in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001), which also starred Mark Hamill. It was the first time the two had appeared in the same film since Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983). Neither of them knew the other was involved in the project until shortly after filming had been completed.
She did her very first European signing in London, England in a hotel libary on Saturday 3rd August 2003. It was an exclusive one-day signing, tickets limited to 500.
She allegedly disliked the "bagel bun" hair style she wore in the original Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), but she didn't say anything about it because she was afraid that director George Lucas would get angry and fire her.
When asked what her favorite moment from the Star Wars trilogy are, she replied that her favorite moments were the arguing scenes between her and Harrison Ford.
Along with her writing career, she also became a successful re-writer of movie scripts, saving many troubled productions.
Is a long-time friend of Miguel Ferrer. He helped her prepare for her Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) audition.
Stood on a box for many of her scenes with Harrison Ford in the Star Wars trilogy, owing to the fact that she was roughly a foot shorter than he and didn't fit into the frame.
Former stepdaughter of Connie Stevens and Elizabeth Taylor.
Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and spoke on this topic at the American Psychiatric Association's Annual Meeting in May 2004 in NYC to thousands of psychiatrists.
Was listed as a potential nominee on the 2006 Razzie Award nominating ballot. She was suggested in the Worst Supporting Actress category for her performance in the film Undiscovered (2005/I), however, she failed to receive a nomination.
Weighed 7lbs 2ozs at birth
Mother, Debbie Reynolds, lives next door to her.
Was once engaged to Dan Aykroyd.
Has one daughter, Billie, whose father is the powerful film agent Bryan Lourd. Fisher and Lourd never married. After he left her for a man, Fisher used that experience as the opening premise for her novel "The Best Awful.".
Has written several novels including the semi-autobiographical "Postcards From The Edge", filmed in 1990.
Sometimes works as a screenplay "script doctor".
Revealed in her memoir "Wishful Drinking" that she once had a romantic relationship with U.S. Senator Chris Dodd (D-Connecticut). When Dodd was once asked to comment in 2007 (for The Kansas City Star), he told a reporter, "it was a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away".
Friends with Meryl Streep. Streep portrayed Fisher in Postcards from the Edge (1990).
In her 2008 memoir, "Wishful Drinking," she notes that, like her mother in Singin' in the Rain (1952), she became famous at age 19 for her role in a classic hit alongside two male co-stars. She also mentions that "Star Wars" could also refer to her celebrity parents' infamous divorce.
Turned down the role of Emmeline in The Blue Lagoon (1980). Brooke Shields won the part.
Turned down the role of Sarah Connor for The Terminator (1984). Linda Hamilton got the part.
Turned down the role of Kathryn Murphy in The Accused (1988). Kelly McGillis was eventually cast as Kathryn.
Her personal assistant is Kim Painter.
Was friend of Michael Jackson.
Was author William Goldman's ideal choice for the character Buttercup in The Princess Bride (1987), a role that went to Robin Wright instead.
Is a friend of Miguel Ferrer who encouraged her and helped her prepare for her Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) audition. Both of their mothers (Debbie Reynolds and Rosemary Clooney) were also best known for their performances in hit musicals: Singin' in the Rain (1952) and White Christmas (1954).
Continued to date Paul Simon for 8 years after their divorce, until finally breaking up in 1991.
Movies for which she served as an uncredited "script doctor" include: The River Wild, Hook, Sister Act, and The Wedding Singer. She also "polished" scripts for the TV series "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles," which was created by George Lucas, who also directed Fisher as Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy.
Has appeared in Star Wars parody episodes of both Robot Chicken and Family Guy. She now plays Mon Mothma, one of the few other female characters in the series. In the latter series, Princess Leia (now played by Alex Borstein) says "I don't like her.".
Personal Quotes
I was street smart, but unfortunately the street was Rodeo Drive.
I have no ambitions as an actress. I'm going to do a day's work on Scream 3 (2000), but that's all I can handle, a day's work.
On her father's gossipy 1999 autobiography: "I'm going to have my DNA fumigated."
I always wanted to do what my mother did - get all dressed up, shoot people, fall in the mud. I never considered anything else.
You can't find true affection in Hollywood because everyone does the fake affection so well.
Females get hired along procreative lines. After 40, we're kind of cooked.
On merchandising for Star Wars: "I signed my likeness away. Every time I look in the mirror, I have to send Lucas a couple of bucks."
My father (Eddie Fisher) was a short Jewish man. My husband (Paul Simon) was a short Jewish man. Go figure.
Describing working with Harrison Ford on the original Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977): Mark was 24, I was 19 and he [Harrison] was 33. He was like the big man on campus. You looked at him and you said to yourself, 'He's going to be a star.'
Explaining why gaffer's tape was sometimes used under her Princess Leia costume in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977): "As we all know, there is no underwear in space."
Acting engenders and harbours qualities that are best left way behind in adolesence. People-pleasing, going on those interviews and jamming your whole personality into getting the job, ingratiating yourself to people you wouldn't f***ing spit on if they were on fire.
Describing the filming of Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980): "Mark [Hamill] was off on Dagobah while Harrison [Ford] and I were were getting drunk in Cloud City."
I was born into big celebrity. It could only diminish.
Leia is not a real character. She is more of a caricature, and is somewhat one- dimensional. It's not really possible to write out a list of Princess Leia's likes and dislikes. I do know her favorite color, though, it's white. She wears white all the time. But that doesn't help me much.
I've got a lot of photos of me when I was very young at parties with celebrities, but I don't really remember the people or when the photos were taken.
I think of my body as a side effect of my mind.
On success: There is no point at which you can say, "Well, I'm successful now. I might as well take a nap."
On time: Instant gratification takes too long.
On experience: Maturity: A stoic response to endless reality.
[on the cultural significance of her parents] I don't know if they were culturally significant, but they were very popular. My mother and my father were America's sweethearts. They literally received that tag. Even my parents sort of went along with the assumption that they were a good couple, but they probably weren't a very good couple. Anyway, my father was best friends with a man named Mike Todd. Mike Todd was married to Elizabeth Taylor. Mike Todd died in a plane crash, and my father consoled Elizabeth Taylor with his penis.
[When asked if the Princess Leia character was the dark side of the force in your professional career] Oh, no. It was fun! I was young. People want it to be a problem for me. No. Those are great movies. Why shouldn't I be proud of being in that? The dark side? You ever see "Hollywood Vice Squad"? Or the "Star Wars Holiday Special"? How about "Under the Rainbow"? Was Star Wars the dark side? There's so much competition for that one.
[About what her father, Eddie Fisher, did to help Elizabeth Taylor after her husband Mike Todd's death] He rushed to her side, gradually moving to her front... He consoled her with flowers and, ultimately, he consoled her with his penis.
Where Are They Now
(2008) Release of her book, "Wishful Drinking".
(1990) Release of her book, "Surrender the Pink".
(1987) Release of her book, "Postcards From the Edge".
(2004) Release of her book, "The Best Awful".
(1994) Release of her book, "Delusions of Grandma".
(September 2009) Play based on her memoir, Wishful Drinking, opened on Broadway.
Date of Birth
21 October 1956, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA
Birth Name
Carrie Frances Fisher
Height
5' 1" (1.55 m)
Mini Biography
Carrie Frances Fisher (born October 21, 1956) is an American actress, novelist, screenwriter, and lecturer. She is most famous for her portrayal of Princess Leia Organa in the original Star Wars trilogy, her bestselling novel Postcards from the Edge, for which she wrote the screenplay to the film of the same name, and her autobiography Wishful Drinking.
Early life
Fisher was born in Beverly Hills, California, the daughter of singer Eddie Fisher and actress Debbie Reynolds. She was raised Protestant, though her paternal grandparents were Russian Jewish immigrants. Her younger brother is Todd Fisher and her half-sisters are actresses Joely Fisher and Tricia Leigh Fisher. Joely and Tricia's mother is the singer/actress Connie Stevens.
When Carrie Fisher was two, her parents divorced after her father left Debbie for her best friend, actress Elizabeth Taylor, the widow of Eddie's best friend Mike Todd. The following year, her mother married shoe store chain owner Harry Karl, who secretly spent her life savings. It was assumed from an early age that Carrie would go into the family show business, and she began appearing with her mother in Las Vegas, Nevada at the age of 12. She attended Beverly Hills High School, but she left to join her mother on the road. She appeared as a debutante and singer in the hit Broadway revival Irene (1973), starring her mother.
Career
1970s
In 1973, Fisher enrolled at London's Central School of Speech and Drama, which she attended for 18 months. She made her film debut in the Columbia comedy Shampoo (1975) starring Warren Beatty, Julie Christie and Goldie Hawn, with Lee Grant and Jack Warden. In 1977, Fisher starred as Princess Leia Organa in George Lucas' science fiction film Star Wars (later retitled Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope) opposite Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford, a part she sarcastically claims to have obtained by sleeping "with some nerd."
In May 1978, she appeared alongside John Ritter in the ABC-TV film Leave Yesterday Behind as a horse trainer who helps Ritter's character after an accident leaves him a paraplegic.
The huge success of Star Wars made her internationally famous. The character of Princess Leia became a merchandising triumph; there were small plastic action figures of the Princess in toy stores across the United States. She appeared as Princess Leia in the 1978 made-for-TV film, The Star Wars Holiday Special. At this time, Fisher appeared with Laurence Olivier and Joanne Woodward in the anthology series Laurence Olivier Presents in a television version of the William Inge play Come Back, Little Sheba.
In November 1978, Fisher was the guest host for Saturday Night Live with musical guests The Blues Brothers and special guest Don Novello as Father Guido Sarducci. Dressed in a gold bikini, she reprised her Princess Leia character from Star Wars in "Beach Blanket Bimbo from Outer Space", a parody sketch of 1960s beach party film. Bill Murray and Gilda Radner imitated the Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello characters. John Belushi played biker Eric Von Zipper, and Dan Aykroyd, with whom Fisher was romantically involved, portrayed Vincent Price.
Fisher appeared in the music video for Ringo Starr's cover of "You're Sixteen" as the love interest in 1978 on his TV special of that year.
1980s
Fisher later appeared in The Blues Brothers film in a cameo role as Joliet Jake's vengeful ex-lover, listed in the credits as "Mystery Woman". She appeared on Broadway in Censored Scenes from King Kong in 1980. That year, she appeared again as Princess Leia in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. She made her third and final appearance as Leia in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, for which she became a sex symbol due to her appearance wearing a golden metal bikini (the slave girl outfit which almost immediately rose to pop culture icon status). She is one of the few actors or actresses to star in films with both John and James Belushi, later appearing with the latter in the film The Man with One Red Shoe. She also was a replacement in the Broadway production of Agnes of God (1982). She appeared in the Woody Allen film Hannah and her Sisters in 1986.
In 1987, Fisher published her first novel, Postcards from the Edge. The book was semi-autobiographical in the sense that she fictionalized and satirized real life events such as her drug addiction of the late 1970s. It became a bestseller, and she received the Los Angeles Pen Award for Best First Novel. Also during 1987, she was in the Australian film The Time Guardian. In 1989, Fisher played a major supporting role in When Harry Met Sally, and in the same year, she appeared opposite Tom Hanks as his wife in The 'Burbs.
1990s
In 1990, Columbia Pictures released a film version of Postcards from the Edge, adapted for the screen by Fisher and starring Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine, and Dennis Quaid. She also appeared in the fantasy comedy film Drop Dead Fred in 1991. In 1997, Fisher appeared as a therapist in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. During the 1990s, Fisher also published the novels Surrender the Pink (1991) and Delusions of Grandma (1993).
2000s
In the film Scream 3 (2000), Fisher played an actress mistaken for Carrie Fisher. Director's commentary on the Scream 3 DVD suggests that the sequence was in fact penned by Fisher herself.
In 2001, Fisher played a nun in the Kevin Smith comedy Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. The title spoofs The Empire Strikes Back and the film, which includes Mark Hamill, satirizes many Hollywood movies, including the Star Wars series.
She also co-wrote the TV comedy film These Old Broads (2001), of which she was also co-executive producer. It starred her mother, Debbie Reynolds, as well as Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Collins and Shirley MacLaine. In this, Taylor's character, an agent, explains to Reynolds' character, an actress, that she was in an alcoholic blackout when she married the actress's husband, "Freddy".
Besides acting and writing original works, Fisher was one of the top script doctor in Hollywood, working on the screenplays of other writers. She has done uncredited polishes on movies starting with The Wedding Singer and Sister Act, and was hired by the creator of Star Wars, George Lucas, to polish scripts for his 1992 TV series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. Her expertise in this area was why she was chosen as one of the interviewers for the screenwriting documentary Dreams on Spec in 2007. However, during an interview in 2004 she said that she no longer does much script doctoring.
Fisher also voices Peter Griffin's boss Angela on the animated sitcom Family Guy and appeared in a book of photographs titled Hollywood Moms (2001) for which she wrote the introduction. Fisher published a sequel to Postcards, The Best Awful There Is in 2004. In August 2006, Fisher appeared prominently in the audience of the Comedy Central's Roast of William Shatner.
Fisher wrote and performed in her one-woman play Wishful Drinking at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles from November 7, 2006, to January 14, 2007. Her show played at the Berkeley Repertory Theater through April 2008, followed by performances in San Jose, California in July 2008, Hartford Stage in August 2008 before moving on to the Arena Stage in Washington, DC in September 2008 and Boston in October 2008. Fisher published her autobiographical book, called Wishful Drinking based on her successful play in December 2008 and embarked on a media tour. On April 2, 2009, Fisher returned to the stage with her play at the Seattle Repertory Theatre with performances through May 9, 2009. On October 4, 2009, Wishful Drinking then opened on Broadway in New York at Studio 54 and played an extended run until January 17, 2010. In December 2009, Fisher's bestselling memoir Wishful Drinking earned her a nomination for a 2010 Grammy Award in the Best Spoken Word Album category.
In 2007, she was a full-time judge on FOX's filmmaking-competition reality television series On the Lot.
Fisher joined Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne on Saturday evenings for The Essentials with informative and entertaining conversation on Hollywood's best films. She guest-starred in the episode titled "Sex and Another City" from season 3 of Sex and the City with Sarah Jessica Parker. This episode also featured Vince Vaughn, Hugh Hefner and Sam Seder in guest roles. On October 25, 2007, Fisher guest-starred as Rosemary Howard on the second season episode of 30 Rock called "Rosemary's Baby", for which she received an Emmy Award nomination. Her last line in the show was a spoof from Star Wars: "Help me Liz Lemon, You're my only hope!". On April 28, 2008, she was a guest on Deal or No Deal. In 2008, she also had a cameo as a doctor in the Star Wars related comedy Fanboys.
Fisher's Wishful Drinking will air as a feature-length documentary on HBO.
Fisher will appear on the seventh season of Entourage in the summer of 2010.
Fisher appeared at Dragon*Con in September 2011 in Atlanta, sitting in on various panels, most having to do with Star Wars and her writings. She is again struggling with weight and appeared to be smoking and disoriented during several of her talks.
Personal life
Fisher was briefly engaged to the actor and comedian Dan Aykroyd, who proposed on the set of their film The Blues Brothers in 1980. She has stated: "We had rings, we got blood tests, the whole shot. But then I got back together with Paul Simon."
Fisher dated musician Paul Simon from 1977 until 1983, then was married to him from August 1983 to July 1984, and they dated again for a time after their divorce. During their marriage, she appeared in Simon's music video for the song "Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog after the War". She is referenced in many of Simon's songs, including "Hearts and Bones", "Graceland", "She Moves On" and "Allergies".
Subsequently, she had a relationship with Creative Artists Agency principal and casting agent Bryan Lourd. They had one child together, Billie Catherine Lourd (born July 17, 1992). The couple's relationship ended when Lourd left to be in a homosexual relationship. Though Fisher has described Lourd as her second husband in interviews, according to a 2004 profile of the actress and writer, she and Lourd were never legally married.
Fisher also had a close relationship with James Blunt. While working on his album Back to Bedlam in 2003, Blunt spent much of his time at Fisher's residence. Vanity Fair's George Wayne wanted Fisher to explain if their relationship was sexual. Fisher dismissed the suggestion: "Absolutely not, but I did become his therapist. He was a soldier. This boy has seen awful stuff. Every time James hears fireworks or anything like that, his heart beats faster, and he gets 'fight or flight'. You know, he comes from a long line of soldiers dating back to the 10th century. He would tell me these horrible stories. He was a captain, a reconnaissance soldier. I became James’s therapist. So it would have been unethical to sleep with my patient."
On February 26, 2005, R. Gregory "Greg" Stevens, a lobbyist and advisor for the Republican Party, was found dead in Fisher's California home due to an overdose of OxyContin compounded by obstructive sleep apnea. In an interview, Fisher claimed that Stevens' ghost haunted her mansion. Fisher was unsettled by this: "I was a nut for a year," she explained, "and in that year I took drugs again."
Fisher has described herself as an "enthusiastic agnostic who would be happy to be shown that there is a God." She was raised Protestant, but often attends Jewish services, the faith of her father, with Orthodox friends.
Bipolar disorder and drug problems
Fisher has publicly discussed her problems with drugs, her struggle with bipolar disorder, and her overcoming an addiction to prescription medication, most notably on ABC's 20/20 and The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive with Stephen Fry for the BBC. She discussed her new memoir Wishful Drinking and various topics in it with Matt Lauer on NBC's Today on December 10, 2008. This interview was followed by a similar appearance on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on December 12, 2008 where she discussed her electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) treatments. She has said that she receives ECT every six weeks to "blow apart the cement" in her brain. Fisher spoke about Wishful Drinking on NPR's Talk of the Nation on December 16, 2008. She also spoke about her life and troubles on the NPR quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! on January 31, 2009.
Weight problems
In recent years, she has been battling weight gain since touring with her one-woman show, topping out at 180 pounds. She's currently the new spokesperson for Jenny Craig, Inc.. Television ads began airing in late January 2011.
Cocaine addiction
While in Sydney, Australia, Fisher revealed in another interview that she had a cocaine addiction during filming of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, and also survived an overdose. "Slowly, I realized I was doing a bit more drugs than other people and losing my choice in the matter" she said in an interview.
Source
The Mini Biography is from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_Fisher. IMDb is not affiliated with, and neither endorses, nor is endorsed by Wikipedia or any of the authors who contributed to this article. The Wikipedia content may be available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, version 3.0 or any later version, available at: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/. Additional or other terms may apply. See Wikipedia Terms of Use for details. This webpage may use the Freebase schema, licensed under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/.
Spouse
Paul Simon (16 August 1983 - July 1984) (divorced)
Trade Mark
Princess Leia Organa in the Star Wars films
Trivia
Checked into substance-abuse program, addiction to prescription drugs. [October 1998]
Daughter of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher.
Father Eddie Fisher left when she was 3 years old to marry Elizabeth Taylor.
Has a daughter Billie Catherine (with Bryan Lourd) born in 1992.
Older half-sister of Joely Fisher and Tricia Leigh Fisher.
Older sister of Todd Fisher.
The punk rock group Blink 182 wrote a song called "A New Hope" in which Fisher's character "Princess Leia" is the lead singer's dream girl.
Made stage debut in the chorus of "Irene" (1975) starring her mother, Debbie Reynolds.
Half-sister-in-law of Christopher Duddy and Byron Thames.
Attended The Central School of Speech and Drama in London.
Appeared in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001), which also starred Mark Hamill. It was the first time the two had appeared in the same film since Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983). Neither of them knew the other was involved in the project until shortly after filming had been completed.
She did her very first European signing in London, England in a hotel libary on Saturday 3rd August 2003. It was an exclusive one-day signing, tickets limited to 500.
She allegedly disliked the "bagel bun" hair style she wore in the original Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), but she didn't say anything about it because she was afraid that director George Lucas would get angry and fire her.
When asked what her favorite moment from the Star Wars trilogy are, she replied that her favorite moments were the arguing scenes between her and Harrison Ford.
Along with her writing career, she also became a successful re-writer of movie scripts, saving many troubled productions.
Is a long-time friend of Miguel Ferrer. He helped her prepare for her Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) audition.
Stood on a box for many of her scenes with Harrison Ford in the Star Wars trilogy, owing to the fact that she was roughly a foot shorter than he and didn't fit into the frame.
Former stepdaughter of Connie Stevens and Elizabeth Taylor.
Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and spoke on this topic at the American Psychiatric Association's Annual Meeting in May 2004 in NYC to thousands of psychiatrists.
Was listed as a potential nominee on the 2006 Razzie Award nominating ballot. She was suggested in the Worst Supporting Actress category for her performance in the film Undiscovered (2005/I), however, she failed to receive a nomination.
Weighed 7lbs 2ozs at birth
Mother, Debbie Reynolds, lives next door to her.
Was once engaged to Dan Aykroyd.
Has one daughter, Billie, whose father is the powerful film agent Bryan Lourd. Fisher and Lourd never married. After he left her for a man, Fisher used that experience as the opening premise for her novel "The Best Awful.".
Has written several novels including the semi-autobiographical "Postcards From The Edge", filmed in 1990.
Sometimes works as a screenplay "script doctor".
Revealed in her memoir "Wishful Drinking" that she once had a romantic relationship with U.S. Senator Chris Dodd (D-Connecticut). When Dodd was once asked to comment in 2007 (for The Kansas City Star), he told a reporter, "it was a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away".
Friends with Meryl Streep. Streep portrayed Fisher in Postcards from the Edge (1990).
In her 2008 memoir, "Wishful Drinking," she notes that, like her mother in Singin' in the Rain (1952), she became famous at age 19 for her role in a classic hit alongside two male co-stars. She also mentions that "Star Wars" could also refer to her celebrity parents' infamous divorce.
Turned down the role of Emmeline in The Blue Lagoon (1980). Brooke Shields won the part.
Turned down the role of Sarah Connor for The Terminator (1984). Linda Hamilton got the part.
Turned down the role of Kathryn Murphy in The Accused (1988). Kelly McGillis was eventually cast as Kathryn.
Her personal assistant is Kim Painter.
Was friend of Michael Jackson.
Was author William Goldman's ideal choice for the character Buttercup in The Princess Bride (1987), a role that went to Robin Wright instead.
Is a friend of Miguel Ferrer who encouraged her and helped her prepare for her Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) audition. Both of their mothers (Debbie Reynolds and Rosemary Clooney) were also best known for their performances in hit musicals: Singin' in the Rain (1952) and White Christmas (1954).
Continued to date Paul Simon for 8 years after their divorce, until finally breaking up in 1991.
Movies for which she served as an uncredited "script doctor" include: The River Wild, Hook, Sister Act, and The Wedding Singer. She also "polished" scripts for the TV series "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles," which was created by George Lucas, who also directed Fisher as Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy.
Has appeared in Star Wars parody episodes of both Robot Chicken and Family Guy. She now plays Mon Mothma, one of the few other female characters in the series. In the latter series, Princess Leia (now played by Alex Borstein) says "I don't like her.".
Personal Quotes
I was street smart, but unfortunately the street was Rodeo Drive.
I have no ambitions as an actress. I'm going to do a day's work on Scream 3 (2000), but that's all I can handle, a day's work.
On her father's gossipy 1999 autobiography: "I'm going to have my DNA fumigated."
I always wanted to do what my mother did - get all dressed up, shoot people, fall in the mud. I never considered anything else.
You can't find true affection in Hollywood because everyone does the fake affection so well.
Females get hired along procreative lines. After 40, we're kind of cooked.
On merchandising for Star Wars: "I signed my likeness away. Every time I look in the mirror, I have to send Lucas a couple of bucks."
My father (Eddie Fisher) was a short Jewish man. My husband (Paul Simon) was a short Jewish man. Go figure.
Describing working with Harrison Ford on the original Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977): Mark was 24, I was 19 and he [Harrison] was 33. He was like the big man on campus. You looked at him and you said to yourself, 'He's going to be a star.'
Explaining why gaffer's tape was sometimes used under her Princess Leia costume in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977): "As we all know, there is no underwear in space."
Acting engenders and harbours qualities that are best left way behind in adolesence. People-pleasing, going on those interviews and jamming your whole personality into getting the job, ingratiating yourself to people you wouldn't f***ing spit on if they were on fire.
Describing the filming of Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980): "Mark [Hamill] was off on Dagobah while Harrison [Ford] and I were were getting drunk in Cloud City."
I was born into big celebrity. It could only diminish.
Leia is not a real character. She is more of a caricature, and is somewhat one- dimensional. It's not really possible to write out a list of Princess Leia's likes and dislikes. I do know her favorite color, though, it's white. She wears white all the time. But that doesn't help me much.
I've got a lot of photos of me when I was very young at parties with celebrities, but I don't really remember the people or when the photos were taken.
I think of my body as a side effect of my mind.
On success: There is no point at which you can say, "Well, I'm successful now. I might as well take a nap."
On time: Instant gratification takes too long.
On experience: Maturity: A stoic response to endless reality.
[on the cultural significance of her parents] I don't know if they were culturally significant, but they were very popular. My mother and my father were America's sweethearts. They literally received that tag. Even my parents sort of went along with the assumption that they were a good couple, but they probably weren't a very good couple. Anyway, my father was best friends with a man named Mike Todd. Mike Todd was married to Elizabeth Taylor. Mike Todd died in a plane crash, and my father consoled Elizabeth Taylor with his penis.
[When asked if the Princess Leia character was the dark side of the force in your professional career] Oh, no. It was fun! I was young. People want it to be a problem for me. No. Those are great movies. Why shouldn't I be proud of being in that? The dark side? You ever see "Hollywood Vice Squad"? Or the "Star Wars Holiday Special"? How about "Under the Rainbow"? Was Star Wars the dark side? There's so much competition for that one.
[About what her father, Eddie Fisher, did to help Elizabeth Taylor after her husband Mike Todd's death] He rushed to her side, gradually moving to her front... He consoled her with flowers and, ultimately, he consoled her with his penis.
Where Are They Now
(2008) Release of her book, "Wishful Drinking".
(1990) Release of her book, "Surrender the Pink".
(1987) Release of her book, "Postcards From the Edge".
(2004) Release of her book, "The Best Awful".
(1994) Release of her book, "Delusions of Grandma".
(September 2009) Play based on her memoir, Wishful Drinking, opened on Broadway.
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Star Wars Is SOOO Much Better Than Star Trek
Carrie Fisher Roasts George Lucas At AFI Life
Longer Carrie Fisher Star Wars Audition
Carrie Fisher On Bring Back Star Wars
