WARWICK DAVIS
Fisher thought Lucas was joking when he
proposed the costume. But she was 24, and in
shape, and went along with it because she knew she
looked good. She had to sit at an unnatural angle
to avoid even the slightest crease in her middle,
aware that a wrong move would allow Boba Fett to
see “all the way to Florida”. It’s a look that’s
become controversial for feminist fans over the
years, turning Leia from heroine to sex slave in a
beat — not that Fisher was aware of that until
much later. “And I’m very glad of that. Maybe
eight years ago [Fisher said in 2015] some guy said
to me, ‘I thought about you every day from when I
was 12 to when I was 22.’ And I said, ‘Every day?’
And he said, ‘Well, four times a day...’ What do
you say to that? Thank you? But then I started
becoming aware of it in an uncomfortable way.”
The bikini launched a generation of men into
puberty and became a geek punchline. On screen,
Rachel in Friends and Kristen Bell in Fanboys
mimicked the look, and generations of cosplayers
have attempted it. “My favourite one to see is the
metal bikini on men, and not thin men,” said
Fisher. “That makes me feel good about myself,
kind of a before and after thing.” Even the harshest
critics concede that Leia strangling her captor with
her slave chain is a compelling metaphor.
And Leia endures as a feminist icon because of
her strength. She never developed her Force skills,
although judging by her son, they could have been
considerable. But what would she have gained? She
already has the compassion and sense of duty that
drove the Jedi. She wielded power and learned
patience, and never gave in to anger or suffering.
Does she really need a lightsaber, too?
Without fanfare, Leia may be the most perfect
Jedi in the Star Wars canon. It’s a rare Skywalker
who’s never been tempted by the dark side, even in
the no-longer-canon extended universe of the
novels and comics. Through a torrent of loss that
would break anyone — parents, adoptive parents,
planet, allies, brother, son, husband — she never
wavered. Perhaps the biggest moment of fan service
in The Force Awakens is simply seeing Leia
surviving, ighting, and still in charge (“From now
on you do what I say, okay?”).
The new generation of Star Wars ilms have
built on Leia’s success with a few more female roles.
But Leia remains singular. Said Daisy Ridley, “I
don’t think anything can top that in the Star Wars
world. She is, and was, beautiful, and smart, and
strong, and vulnerable; all those cool things that I
think made her so loved.”
Interviewed on NPR just a couple of months
ago, Fisher expressed her affection for her iconic
role. “I like Princess Leia. I like how she handles
things. I like how she treats people. She tells the
truth. She gets what she wants done. I’ve sort of
melded with her over time.”
Numerically speaking, Star Wars remains a
boy’s fantasy, chocka with great male characters.
But in terms of quality role models? The guys have
nothing on Carrie Fisher’s Leia.Fisher in that bikini in Return
Of The Jedi.
THE FIRST TIME I met Carrie was on the set of Return Of The Jedi. As an
11-year-old Star Wars fan, all I could see her as was Princess Leia. I didn’t
understand on-set etiquette back then — you don’t just wander up to
the lead in a movie and start having a chat — so I would often talk to
her. I would ask her questions about her character, her adventures and
how her blaster worked. Many of our meetings were like that until we
went to America to shoot the Endor forest sequences in Crescent City.
Kenny Baker got poorly, so I got to play the scene where Princess Leia is
discovered by Wicket the Ewok. I remember Carrie was worried about how
hot I was in the costume and would bring me chocolate, milk and cookies
from the craft services table. It was then I started to know Carrie Fisher.
Back at Elstree studios, they were shooting the sequence inside
Jabba’s sail barge. The on-set photographer said, “Why don’t you sit on
Jabba’s tail and have a picture with Carrie?” It is a really lovely picture
and the expression on my face speaks volumes about my excitement and
the mild embarrassment of an 11-year-old next to a lady in a metal bikini.
It’s pretty special.
For me, Leia was a very unique portrayal of a woman in a movie in
that she was a very strong female lead character. We see quite a lot of
that now, but Carrie paved the way for the likes of Daisy Ridley and
Felicity Jones. Those characters very much come out of the mould that
Carrie created. A lot of Princess Leia is Carrie Fisher as well. She was so
confident, and you get a hint of her wry sense of humour within the
character, too. She delighted fans with that performance and will
continue to do so for generations to come.
Years later, when I started hosting Star Wars Celebration events,
I had the pleasure of interviewing Carrie on stage. I’d spend a lot of time
writing those shows but I didn’t really need to plan Carrie’s sections.
I knew if she sat opposite me and we’d start talking, some magic would
happen. She was so relaxed on stage, kicking her shoes off and lying
down on the sofa before 4,000 people like it was her living room. I asked
Carrie to close her eyes while I put on a stormtrooper helmet and said,
“Now open them and say the first thing that comes into your head,”
thinking she’d say, “Aren’t you a little short for a stormtrooper?” She
said, “There’s always a bigger fish,” which is a line from The Phantom
Menace. It was a very funny and special moment. We also re-enacted
Leia’s meeting with Wicket twice. The first time, her dog, Gary, had to be
ushered off stage because he attacked my cuddly Ewoks. The second
time, when I got a broom handle to use as a spear, Gary took exception
and turned on me. Carrie was never word-perfect, but she committed to
our skits and the fans adored her for it.
There was no smokescreen with Carrie. You felt she could be part
of your family; she wasn’t starry at all. What you saw was what you got.
I think that’s why she will be remembered so fondly, because she gave
everybody everything. There wasn’t a secret side to Carrie Fisher the
fans don’t know. That’s just who she was.