Carrie Fisher Was So Much More Than Just ‘Princess Leia’

When my kids found out that Princess Leia died yesterday, their response was, "the real Princess Leia?" Unfortunately, the answer was yes. Carrie Fisher became the latest icon to pass in 2016 yesterday at the age of 60. She suffered a massive cardiac event last Friday and never recovered while hospitalized in Los Angeles. Naturally, the first thing most of us think of is her iconic role from the Star Wars movies. But Carrie Fisher was so much more.

Yes, Carrie Fisher will best be remembered for her role as Princess Leia. And what a role it was. She was a princess, but she waited on no man. She could handle a gun just like Han Solo. She was the leader of the Rebel resistance. She was a female figure in movies in the 70's and 80's that girls could look up to. Yes, a princess could be a bad ass too. That was Carrie Fisher. But her troubled real life story helped more people than she could ever know.

Fisher suffered from substance abuse problems. She never hid them. She often talked openly about them. She was also open about suffering from bipolar disorder. Her willingness to talk about her struggles with the disease helped millions of others around the world deal with it too.

Carrie Fisher was born into Hollywood royalty. But she never took the role too seriously. She knew her flaws, talked openly about them with the goal of helping others avoid the pitfalls in life she found. Maybe remembering her as a 'Princess' is accurate after all.