Carrie Fisher was one of the most recognizable stars in Hollywood during the ‘70s and ‘80s thanks to playing one of the best characters in Star Wars. Princess Leia was incredibly prolific in the sci-fi genre for showing female empowerment in leading a rebellion and being unafraid to speak her mind. Not to mention, Fisher was an excellent role model for actresses who came into the franchise, including leadDaisy Ridley. The British actress shared a big piece of advice the Emmy nominee once gave her, saying “It takes a lot of courage” to deal with Star Wars fame.
If playing Princess Leia in the Star Wars movies was life-changing for Carrie Fisher, you might imagine what that would mean for Daisy Ridley playing Rey. Unlike Mark Hamill, who was considered the main hero in the George Lucas series playing Luke, Rey was the heroine for the sequel trilogy.
The talented actress was fortunate enough to get to work with Fisher before her death in 2016, and Ridley shared in a Drew Barrymore Show clip one big piece of advice for how the veteran actress helped her adjust to Star Wars fame:
When people approached me, people were being so nice. But, I was always so stunned that people were talking to me who I didn't know and so I'd be a bit stuttery and she just said, ‘It takes a lot of courage to approach someone who you have liked in something.’ So, that was something that I remember her saying beautifully.
Just watching the clip now, those truly were sage words of advice from the When Harry Met Sally… actress. I know I would be “stuttery” too if I found myself surprisingly walking alongside someone famous down the street. I'm sure it can be easy for celebrities to be annoyed if these interactions are happening all the time, but Ms. Fisher's perspective showed a lot of empathy and helps me to see how Star Wars ultimately became one of the most memorable and best sci-fi movies of all time.
That's particularly true when you consider a story Ms. Fisher actually told back in the day, in which she had a gross-yet-memorable fan interaction with a Star Wars lover during which the guy admitted to thinking about her four times a day for a decade. Welp.
The late actress may have had a legendary career playing a lead in Star Wars, but it wasn’t without its own consequences of fame. Fisher also told Daisy Ridley that dating was hard for her playing the galaxy princess as she had concerns people would be in it for the street cred: “I had sex with Princess Leia.”
Despite all of the obstacles the American actress faced, Carrie Fisher used her experiences in Hollywood to be a mental health advocate through her books, memoirs, and public appearances. Not to mention, the infamous star was known for being a script doctor re-writing some of her Star Wars lines and fine-tuning scripts like The Wedding Singer, Hook, and Sister Act. She’s truly an inspiration for actresses hoping to have careers with longevity in Hollywood.
Daisy Ridley previously recalled how “overwhelming” it was for her when the Star Wars movies debuted, and her latest comments to Drew Barrymore tie in similarly. She said she’d be recognized by people in public restrooms and learning about all of these new career insights like doing press junkets. But the Young Woman and the Sea actress explained that once everything slowed down, she had a great understanding of how fame worked and that now it’ll be easier for her to manage knowing what’s coming.
While the last time that Daisy Ridley played Rey was back in 2019 for Rise of the Skywalker, it looks like fame will encounter the Ophelia actress yet again when she reprises Rey for her upcoming solo movie. Even though it had been a few years since she played the female Jedi, Ridley knew she had to return to the franchise because of the excitement of revisiting the character that put her name on the Hollywood map and continuing Rey’s journey. The upcoming Star Wars flick may have lost its screenwriter, but The Marsh King’s Daughter star offered encouragement, also revealing the new movie is in “the next stages” and “we’re all good.” You can watch Ridley’s interview in full with Drew Barrymore below:
I personally hope Daisy Ridley felt very lucky to have a Star Wars muse like Carrie Fisher around to help her tackle newfound fame. You can watch the two actresses take on the First Order in the Star Wars movies available on your Disney+ subscription.
