Actress Carrie Fisher gained recognition for playing the role of Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy. While the films brought Fisher unprecedented fame, they also resulted in the actress facing media and public scrutiny in her personal life. Fisher later reflected on some of her personal struggles in her books.
In an excerpt from her book, Fisher admitted to using humor as a defense mechanism against her mental disorder. Before her passing, Fisher had become vocal about mental health and addiction issues, which started shortly after her rise to fame. Here is what Fisher had to say about her struggles amidst her Star Wars fame.
Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher discussed her mental disorder in her autobiography
Actress Carrie Fisher debuted as Princess Leia in 1977’s Star Wars, directed by George Lucas, which made her a household name. While Fisher remained synonymous with the role and even returned for the sequel trilogy, the actress secretly battled bipolar disorder for most of her years in the limelight.
In her 2008 book, Wishful Drinking, Fisher discussed her battle with the mental disorder and admitted to using humor as a defense mechanism against some of the challenges it posed ahead of her.
I’m a PEZ dispenser and I’m in the abnormal Psychology textbook. Who says you can’t have it all?
The actress wrote the above lines in an excerpt from the book (via San Francisco Chronicle), highlighting her humorous approach to her issues.
During a separate interview with WebMD, Fisher was also asked about her struggles with bipolar disorder, admitting she was diagnosed at the age of 24 but refused to accept it until much later. However, Fisher also joked that being vocal about the mental health disorder should help her get the centerfold in Psychology Today.
Carrie Fisher also talked about using drugs while filming the Star Wars movies
In the same interview, Fisher also discussed her addiction issues, which stemmed around the same time as she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In another interview, Fisher also admitted to doing cocaine while filming 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back, the second installment in the original trilogy.
We did cocaine on the set of [The] Empire [Strikes Back], in the ice planet. I didn’t even like coke that much. It was just a case of getting on whatever train I needed to take to get high.
Fisher stated the above during a conversation with The Guardian, revealing she was deep into addiction at that point. However, Fisher admitted that she quickly realized she had a substance issue and decided to get help.
During her conversation with WebMD, the late actress also talked about the stigma surrounding therapy, especially shock treatment, which she admitted to undergoing herself. As a result, Fisher revealed she hoped to start a conversation regarding mental health issues by openly discussing her struggles.
The Star Wars movies and TV shows are streaming on Disney+.
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