Princess Leia reaches for the stars one last time
Carrie Fisher's untimely death a few years ago shocked the Star Wars fan community and plunged them into mourning. Now the actress who played Princess Leia is being honoured posthumously: She will be immortalised on the "Walk of Fame" on this year's Star Wars Day.
"Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope." With this quote alone in "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope" from 1977, Carrie Fisher alias Princess Leia Organa wrote "Star Wars" and film history in general. Now she is to receive one of Hollywood's greatest honours posthumously: a star on the "Walk of Fame".
Carrie Fisher's star plaque on arguably Los Angeles' most famous pavement will be unveiled on May the Fourth, which sounds like "May the Force (be with you)", which is why it's considered an official Star Wars day among fans. Fisher's star is the 2754th on the "Walk of Fame", and he is in good company: according to the award organisers, he is only a few metres away from Mark Hamill's star. Hamill (71) played Luke Skywalker, Leia's brother, in the Star Wars films.
Carrie Fisher also took on the role of Leia in "Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back" (1980) and "Episode VI - Return Of The Jedi" (1983). Numerous other films and series followed before she once again slipped into the role that had once made her world-famous in "Episode VII - The Force Awakens" more than 30 years later.
An eventful life
Carrie Fisher did not live to see the conclusion of the third Star Wars trilogy ("The Last Jedi" in 2017 and "The Rise Of Skywalker" in 2019): She died on 27 December 2016 at the age of 60. A few days earlier, she had suffered a cardiac arrest at the end of a flight from London to Los Angeles. Whether there is a connection between her death and her years of drug and medication addiction can only be speculated about afterwards.
In addition to her work as an actress, Carrie Fisher also made a name for herself as a comedian and author. She has published several books, including "Princess Leia Strikes Back: My Crazy Life Between Cocaine, Electroshock Therapy and a Gay Husband" (original title "Wishful Drinking"). In the autobiographical novel from 2008, Fisher also described her bipolar disorder, a mental illness, among other things.
The Force is with you, Carrie Fisher... Always.
Caption photo: Lucasfilm
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