Veteran American actress Carrie Fisher, mostly known for portraying Princess (and later General) Leia Organa in the Star Wars franchise, died yesterday in Los Angeles, California, four days after suffering a cardiac event on a London-California flight.
Mrs. Fisher’s passing has inspired many tributes, many of them from prestigious institutions unrelated to show business. Aside from being an actress, Mrs. Fisher was also a writer and an outspoken advocate for mental health.
For many female fans of the franchise, Mrs. Fisher was also an icon of strength, wit, and confidence. Many people regard Princess Leia as a character who deviated from traditional (cinematic) gender roles, showing girls around the world that they could be heroines too.
Carrie Fisher vigorously challenged the stigma attached to mental illness
Mrs. Fisher identified herself as a living survivor of the bipolar disorder, being open in all of its respects, describing her experiences without an ounce of shame and always concluding with a message of hope and encouragement.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness distributed a tribute on their Facebook page, linking to an announcement from 2001 in which they honored Mrs. Fisher for her work.
She was always active in the fight against stigma and misinformation regarding these issues, even today. Her last publication on the subject was a lengthy article (featured in The Guardian) in which she responded to questions from people with bipolar disorder.
Mrs. Fisher was also a prolific writer
The actress published her first book ‘Postcards From The Edge,’ in 1987. She followed with three subsequent paperbacks that deal with themes such as relationships, motherhood, and the entertainment business.
Mrs. Fisher also published three non-fiction books, ‘Wishful Drinking’ (2008), based on her stage monolog, ‘Shockaholic’ (2011), and ‘The Princess Diarist’ (2016), based on diaries she kept while working on Episode IV in 1977.
Mrs. Fisher left Star Wars fans with a new hope for Episode VIII
Many online sources now report the veteran actress had already finished filming all of her scenes for the upcoming installment of the Star Wars cinematic universe, scheduled for release in December 2017.
Mrs. Fisher’s death has shocked fans all around the world, many of them are also mourning the passing of singer George Michael.
The entertainment business also suffered the losses of British actor Alan Rickman (known for playing Professor Snape in the Harry Potter films), Prince, David Bowie, Anton Yelchin, Christina Gimmie, Gene Wilder, Leonard Cohen, among many other loved celebrities this year.
Source: USA Today