Why ‘Star Wars’ made Carrie Fisher feel helpless: “Nothing can be bigger”
Nobody could have predicted the roaring success that the first Star Wars movie would achieve. The film, retroactively subtitled ‘A New Hope’, went on to become the highest-grossing movie of all time upon its release in 1977. Not only did it spawn a billion-dollar franchise that would eventually become one of the jewels in Disney’s crown, but it also helped legitimise science fiction as a major box office genre. The impact of this film simply cannot be understated, particularly on the people involved in it.
Director George Lucas was catapulted into superstardom as a result of his brainchild’s dominance, for better or for worse. In terms of actors, nobody benefitted more than Harrison Ford. The man behind Han Solo went on to become one of the biggest stars in Hollywood history, teaming up with Lucas again as part of the widely successful Indiana Jones franchise. James Earl Jones, the voice of Darth Vader, who passed away in 2024, also embedded himself into popular culture forevermore.
Spare a thought for the other two members of the main Star Wars trio, who never quite reached the same levels of fame as their Wookie-befriending colleague. Mark Hamill has settled into a nice niche as a voice actor, lending his pipes to various major series, including, most famously, the Joker in a number of Batman projects. Then there’s Carrie Fisher, the most tragic figure in this entire story.
As the daughter of legendary actor Debbie Reynolds, Fisher was poised for success from a young age. As the steadfast Princess Leia, she played a huge role in the original trilogy, becoming a bedroom wall poster staple for millions across the globe. She had a number of other major roles, including in The Blues Brothers and When Harry Met Sally…, but the view was she never quite lived up to her potential.
She battled drug addiction for most of her life, as well as a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. In 2016, following a medical emergency aboard a flight, Fisher died at the far too young age of 60. For many, this was a shattering of childhood innocence, a vital piece of their youth taken away forever.
Sadly, Fisher was all too aware of what appearing in such a massive cultural phenomenon would do to her life. Speaking to Rolling Stone in 1980 about how Star Wars had negatively affected her career, she outlined the reasons why flying around the galaxy wasn’t the dream many thought it would be. “It hasn’t translated into jobs, into other work. It’s not an actor’s performance,” she said. “You have fun doing it to a degree, but I’m famous in this weird way because I’m this children’s cartoon character.”
“I mean, people know who I am, but nothing can be bigger than this movie, no matter what happens,” she continued. “When we all kick off, we will be the princess and Luke and Han.” When the interviewer asked how all of this made her feel, Fisher simply replied, “Helpless.”
Even though it’s been tainted by corporate stink in recent years, Star Wars still holds a special place in the hearts of countless people worldwide. To learn that one of the key components of the series suffered so greatly as a result of her own success is nothing short of heartbreaking. Fisher deserved so much more.
