Billie Lourd, daughter of the late, great Carrie Fisher, has shared a piece of encouragement she received from her mother while on the set of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The family has obviously been an integral part of the famed galaxy far, far away, as Fisher portrayed Leia Organa five times in the franchise (including this December's The Last Jedi), while Lourd has played Lieutenant Connix of the Resistance in the sequel trilogy. Lourd first appeared in Episode VII and allegedly has a larger role in the sequel.
Since Fisher and Lourd's characters are so connected in the story of the movies, the two spent a lot of time together while filming, which was a fun experience for both. The Force Awakens was actually Lourd's first major movie part, so it would have been understandable if she had some nerves during production. Star Wars is one of the largest film properties in the world, so there's a constant pressure to get each installment right. However, Lourd was never nervous on set, which impressed Fisher greatly.
In an interview with Town & Country, Lourd shared an anecdote about a moment she shared with Fisher while the two were shooting The Force Awakens. The poise Lourd showed illustrated to her mother that she was cut out for show business:
“The thing is, I was bizarrely comfortable on set. My mother would pull me aside and be like, ‘It’s weird that you’re so comfortable here. This is the most uncomfortable environment in the world. If you’re comfortable here, you should do this.'”
Star Wars 7 was the first movie of Lucasfilm's Disney era, arriving in theaters three years after the Mouse House purchased the studio for $4 billion. With the expectations of fans and the future of the brand hanging in the balance, Fisher's claim that the set was "the most uncomfortable environment in the world" is probably accurate. The cast and crew certainly had a good time adding to the Star Wars legacy, but the project was a highly stressful undertaking for all involved - especially since it was unknown how viewers would react to the new characters and storylines. Lourd had a mere cameo in Force Awakens, but it's still great that she was so calm. If she can maintain her composure on a Star Wars set, she's certainly in the right profession. It's rare for the lights in Hollywood to get much brighter.
It will be interesting to see how Lourd's involvement with Star Wars progresses as the sequel trilogy moves forward. It's becoming more likely Leia will not be in Episode IX, but the Resistance will still fight on against the First Order. One possibility is giving Lourd more of a principal role in the third installment as a way to pay respect to Fisher and have her legacy live on through her daughter's performance. Lucasfilm knows how important it is to handle this with supreme class, so hopefully they come up with the proper solution.
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Source: Town & Country
