Carrie Fisher, the actress who played Princess Leia in Star Wars, has died. She was only 60 years old.
Last week, she suffered a massive heart attack on a flight from London to LA. News reports initially indicated that her condition was improving. But alas fate then moved things in another direction.
Above, you can watch a young Carrie Fisher–only 19 years old–audition for the part that made her famous. (On YouTube, see other audition footage featuring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Kurt Russell.) Last month, while promoting her brand new memoir The Princess Diarist, Fisher talked with NPR’s Terry Gross about the challenge of making that first Star Wars film. “I think I sort of felt isolated. I didn’t really have anyone. I didn’t confide in men. [The cast and filmmakers were all men.] I didn’t confide in anyone then.” “I was so insecure.” But she kept it well hidden. Only poise and confidence are on display here.
Note: You can download The Princess Diarist as a free audiobook from Audible.com if you take part in their no-strings-attached free trial program. Get more details on that here.
If you would like to sign up for Open Culture’s free email newsletter, please find it here.
If you would like to support the mission of Open Culture, consider making a donation to our site. It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your contributions will help us continue providing the best free cultural and educational materials to learners everywhere. You can contribute through PayPal, Patreon, and Venmo (@openculture). Thanks!
Related Content:
Hardware Wars: The Mother of All Star Wars Fan Films (and the Most Profitable Short Film Ever Made)
Learn to Code with Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Minecraft
How Star Wars Borrowed From Akira Kurosawa’s Great Samurai Films
Leave a Reply