Summary

  • Carrie Fisher's portrayal of Princess Leia Organa in Star Wars was iconic, but behind-the-scenes struggles existed, especially with one specific line.
  • Leia's wit and resilience as a character were mirrored by Fisher's own personality, making her portrayal unforgettable.
  • Fisher had difficulty portraying anger towards Peter Cushing in Star Wars, as she liked him too much, showing their legendary chemistry.

Carrie Fisher's performance as Princess Leia Organa in A New Hope is one of the most iconic of all time, but even she had some behind-the-scene struggles on the set of the original Star Wars - particularly with one specific line. Star Wars (later retitled A New Hope), she had to get a feel for her character and embody everything Leia would become on-screen. The result is something absolutely unforgettable, though it wasn't always an easy journey.

From the usual trial-and-error experienced on movie sets to other unfortunate circumstances that made the job difficult at times, Fisher still managed to create someone very special with her portrayal of Leia, much of which is centered around the princess' wit. Leia is a strong heroine in every sense of the word, and this is very much due to Fisher's own resilience outside the role. As it turns out, however, Fisher may have brought too much of her sarcastic and witty self to the role, leading her to struggle with one key line in A New Hope.

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Carrie Fisher Enjoyed Working With Peter Cushing A Little Too Much

Fisher Struggled to Genuinely Get Angry at Him

Leia in between Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin in A New Hope

When speaking about her experience acting opposite Peter Cushing, Fisher (via Grand Moff Tarkin and instead use real anger. Fisher, however, had a hard time with this, because "I liked Peter Cushing so much that, in my mind, I had to substitute somebody else in order to get the hatred for him." She hilariously states that while describing Tarkin's "foul stench," all Fisher could really smell was Cushing's "linen and lavender."

Peter Cushing Was A True Hollywood Legend

Cushing Worked His Hardest on Every Role He Had

Peter Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars A New Hope

Cushing is a Hollywood legend for a reason, and Star Wars proves that he worked his hardest in every single role. His Star Wars legacy sings his praises, something that Fisher's words about him also prove. Despite not understanding all of Star Wars' rather complicated terminology, he worked hard to perfect Tarkin's voice, and he also worked well with the cast and crew to make the experience and the movie the best that he possibly could. What Cushing and Fisher both managed to do in this Star Wars scene proves why they're both so legendary and will forever be missed.

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Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
Release Date
May 25, 1977
Runtime
121 minutes
Director
George Lucas

WHERE TO WATCH

Streaming
RENT

Star Wars is a seminal science fiction film released in 1977 that follows the quest of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo to rescue Princess Leia from the oppressive Imperial forces. They are aided by the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO, as they strive to restore peace to the galaxy.

Writers
George Lucas
Franchise(s)
Star Wars
Studio(s)
Lucasfilm
Distributor(s)
20th Century
Budget
$11 Million
Main Genre
Sci-Fi

Source: Star Wars Culture