Carrie Fisher, the actress best known for her iconic role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars franchise, faced immense scrutiny and pressure regarding her weight throughout her career. Her weight loss journey was marked by both personal struggles and external pressures from the image-obsessed Hollywood industry. This article delves into Fisher's experiences with weight, dieting, and body image, particularly in relation to her role as Princess Leia.
Early Pressures and the Original Star Wars Trilogy
Even at a young age, Fisher was subjected to Hollywood's unrealistic beauty standards. At 19, standing 5-foot-1 and weighing 105 pounds, she was asked to lose weight to play Princess Leia in the original Star Wars (1977). This initial experience set the stage for decades of navigating the industry's focus on appearance.
Return to the Galaxy Far, Far Away: The Force Awakens
Decades later, as she prepared to reprise her role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Fisher faced renewed pressure to conform to Hollywood's expectations. She revealed that she felt obliged to lose 35 pounds for the role. In an interview with Good Housekeeping U.K. shortly before The Force Awakens opened in theaters, Fisher said the studio didn’t “want to hire all of me” when it came time to bring Princess Leia back to the big screen.
"Nothing changes: it’s an appearance-driven thing. I’m in a business where the only thing that matters is weight and appearance. That is so messed up," Fisher told the publication. "They might as well say ‘get younger,’ because that’s how easy it is."
She criticized the industry's narrow focus on weight and appearance, emphasizing the unrealistic standards imposed on actresses. Fisher told Good Housekeeping she had lost the weight for the film by eating less and exercising more. “There is no other way to do it. I have a harder time eating properly than I do exercising. It’s easier for me to add an activity than to deny myself something,” said Fisher.
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Fisher's Perspective on Weight and Appearance
Fisher openly expressed her frustration with the industry's obsession with beauty and weight. "We treat beauty like an accomplishment and that is insane," she said. "Everyone in L.A. says, 'Oh you look good,' and you listen for them to say you've lost weight. It's never 'How are you?' or 'You seem happy!'"
She also shared her personal struggles with reconciling weight loss with her self-perception. "When I do lose the weight, I don’t like that it makes me feel good about myself. It’s not who I am," she said. "My problem is they talk to me like an actress, but I hear them like a writer."
Jenny Craig and a "Breath of Fresh Air"
In 2010, Fisher became a spokesperson for Jenny Craig, a weight loss program. This partnership was seen as unconventional, given Fisher's candid and self-deprecating personality. However, her willingness to be open about her struggles resonated with many.
"Carrie Fisher is not your typical weight loss spokesperson: she's unwilling, acerbic, self-deprecating," the Huffington Post wrote in 2011. "But her inclination toward sarcasm - rather than spandex - makes the new face of Jenny Craig something of a breath of fresh air."
Fisher herself acknowledged her challenges with maintaining a healthy lifestyle. "It was good that I had to be accountable because I'm a big, childish, 54-year-old cheat," she said. "I mean, everything I seem to start I end up abusing and have to stop it."
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Before Jenny Craig, Fisher said, "I had tried and failed with so many diets, so losing any amount of weight seemed crazy to me. Now I'm 30 pounds lighter, and I didn't have to starve or deprive myself of my favorite foods. Plus, I have my personal consultant Kathy with me every step along the way. With this weight loss, it's like a whole new Carrie has emerged," said Fisher. "I used to feel like I had to apologize for the way I looked whenever I stepped out of the house," said Fisher. "I spent so much energy coming up with reasons why I was overweight."
The Darker Side: Pressure, Substance Use, and Mental Health
The pressure to maintain a certain image took a toll on Fisher's mental health and contributed to her struggles with substance use. Her close friend, musician James Blunt, revealed that the pressure to be thin for The Force Awakens led her to start using drugs again.
“[Carrie] was really on a high and a positive, but they had applied a lot of pressure on her to be thin,” Blunt said. “She really put a lot of pressure on herself, started using drugs again and by the time she got on the plane, she had effectively killed herself,” Blunt added.
Fisher had cocaine, methadone, ethanol and opiates in her system at the time of her death, according to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office. Her daughter, Billie Lourd, acknowledged her mother's lifelong battle with drug addiction and mental illness.
At the time of the report’s release, Lourd said, “My mom battled drug addiction and mental illness her entire life. She ultimately died of it. She was purposefully open in all of her work about the social stigmas surrounding these diseases. She talked about the shame that torments people and their families confronted by these diseases. I know my Mom, she’d want her death to encourage people to be open about their struggles. Seek help, fight for government funding for mental health programs."
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Fisher's experiences with addiction and bipolar disorder, and her willingness to speak honestly about them, made her a respected advocate for these communities.
Legacy and Impact
Carrie Fisher's story serves as a reminder of the intense pressures faced by women in Hollywood and the importance of body positivity and mental health awareness. Her candor about her own struggles helped to break down stigmas and encourage open conversations about these issues.
Even after her death, Fisher's words continue to resonate. Her critique of the industry's obsession with appearance and her advocacy for mental health remain relevant in today's society. She has previously spoken there being an expectation to lose weight before she began shooting her first appearance as Princess Leia in more than three decades.
“Nothing changes, it’s an appearance-driven thing,” she said in 2015. “I’m in a business where the only thing that matters is weight and appearance. That is so messed up.
Carrie Fisher's legacy extends far beyond her role as Princess Leia. She was a talented writer, a witty commentator, and a fearless advocate for those struggling with mental health and addiction. Her experiences with weight loss and body image offer valuable insights into the pressures of Hollywood and the importance of self-acceptance.