Billie Lourd Opens Up About The Effect Of Princess Leia And 'Star Wars' Had On Her Life
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Carrying On Carrie's Legacy
Actress Billie Lourd penned an emotional essay for Time, opening up about how she's handled the loss of her mother, Carrie Fisher, and how Star Wars has impacted her life. Lourd admitted that for much of her life, she wasn't a huge Princess Leia fan.
"I grew up with three parents: a mom, a dad and Princess Leia. I guess Princess Leia was kind of like my stepmom – technically family, but deep down I didn’t really like her ... When Leia was around, there wasn’t as much room for my mom – for Carrie."
Living With Princess Leia
Lourd explained that she "didn’t want to watch her [mother's] movie, I didn’t want to dress up like her, I didn’t even want to talk about her. I just wanted my mom – the one who lived on Earth."
As she got older and actually watched Fisher's iconic turn in Star Wars, she finally understood why Leia was so beloved.
"I realized then that Leia is more than just a character. She’s a feeling. She is strength. She is grace. She is wit. She is femininity at its finest. She knows what she wants, and she gets it. She doesn’t need anyone to defend her, because she defends herself. And no one could have played her like my mother. Princess Leia is Carrie Fisher. Carrie Fisher is Princess Leia. The two go hand in hand."
No One's Sidekick
Lourd eventually joined her mother in the Star Wars universe, playing resistance fighter Lt. Connix. Before her death, Leia was supposed to be the central figure in the upcoming Rise of Skywalker, a fact that absolutely delighted Fisher.
"One of the last times we spoke on the phone, she talked about how excited she was that the next movie in the trilogy was going to be Leia’s movie. Her movie. Leia was not just a sidekick one of the male leads had on his arm, or a damsel in distress. She was the hero herself."
Fisher's death ended that dream. However, director J.J. Abrams came to Lourd and asked if they could use archival footage of Fisher to end Leia's story the right way.
"I knew it would be one of the most painful, difficult things I would ever do, but I said yes for her–for my mom. For Leia."
Her Last Trip Through The Galaxy
Lourd ends her essay by explaining how her relationship with Leia has changed.
"I grew up with three parents: a mom, a dad and Princess Leia. Initially, Princess Leia was kind of like my stepmom. Now she’s my guardian angel. And I’m her keeper."
Fisher is sure to be proud of Lourd's accomplishment. She's established herself as a great actress in her own right thanks to memorable turns in Scream Queens, American Horror Story, and Booksmart. She's carrying on the family business and doing it with grace.
