Known to most as Star War's space princess, Leia, Carrie Fisher was an actor, writer, comedian, activist, and writer of great talent. While many enjoyed her roles, she was also quite an unforgettable woman in reality. She had wit, humor, wisdom, and a fortitude that many admired.
Many can agree that no one can describe Carrie Fisher than Carrie Fisher. There are tons of memorable quotes from her interviews and writings. Some are funny, some are deep, and some are both. Here are ten that we picked from her history.
“You're Not Really Famous Until You’re A Pez Dispenser.”
This is one of Carrie Fisher's funny and cute insights about being famous. She said this quote in the 2004 documentary: Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy. A lot of famous people were interviewed for the film such as George Lucas, Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and of course Carrie Fisher.
It brings to question: how many real people have been Pez dispensers? It must be a weird feeling to see candy just pop out of a face that resembles your own.
"What I Always Wanna Tell Young People Now: Pay Attention. This Isn’t Gonna Happen Again. Rather Than Try To Understand It As It’s Going Along, Have It Go Along For A While And Then Understand It."
In an interview with the Rolling Stone, Carrie Fisher was asked questions about her book: The Princess Diarist. The book was partly based on the diaries that she kept while filming the original Star Wars.
She was asked what she would tell her 19-year-old self. She connected that to what she wants to tell young people in general.
“Resentment Is Like Drinking Poison And Waiting For The Other Person To Die."
This famous quote came from Carrie Fisher's 2012 autobiographical humor book: Wishful Drinking. The quote on resentment was just one of many that were cut from the source and shared through social media. When Carrie Fisher passed away in 2016, a lot of publications shared a different quote from her book.
It said, "Now I think that this would make for a fantastic obit—so I tell my younger friends that no matter how I go, I want it reported that I drowned in moonlight, strangled by my own bra."
“I Don’t Want Life To Imitate Art. I Want Life To Be Art.”
Postcards from the Edge is a semi-autobiographical novel by Carrie Fisher, to which this quote is from. Its focus was on issues surrounding drug addiction and rehab, which was a part of life that Carrie Fisher has experienced. Critics have called it a "tough look at reality."
On its own, the quote is one that touches the hearts of dreamers and artists.
“Stay Afraid, But Do It Anyway. What’s Important Is The Action. You Don’t Have To Wait To Be Confident. Just Do It And Eventually The Confidence Will Follow.”
In an interview with HT Health, Carrie Fisher was asked what she would tell young people who are afraid to pursue their dreams while living with mental health illnesses. This quote is what she told them.
Carrie Fisher was a major mental health advocate, as she had bipolar disorder and was diagnosed at 29-years-old.
"The only thing worse than being hurt is everyone knowing that you’re hurt."
This quote, like “I don’t want life to imitate art. I want life to be art,” also came from Carrie Fishers' book, Postcards from the Edge.
Her book was actually also made into a film of the same name in 1990. The film included stars like film stars Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine, and Dennis Quaid. While the film had overall positive reviews, its best to stick with the book if you really want Carrie Fisher's vision.
"Instant Gratification Takes Too Long."
This quote is also from her book, Postcards From the Edge. It was in describing a therapy for "people who dare to be pathetic." This was in relation to drug addiction.
Carrie Fisher often described herself as the "ultimate cliche" in that she was a celebrity with drug issues. She did not want to attend rehab clinics used most by celebrities, such as the Betty Ford Clinic. Instead, she went to Century City Hospital’s New Beginnings program. She even met some people who confessed that they’d been in San Quentin, and she had the joy of responding with, “I was in ‘Star Wars.’ ”
"If my life wasn’t funny it would just be true, and that is unacceptable."
Also from her 2012 book, Wishful Drinking, this quote really puts out the fact that Carrie Fisher loved humor. If you can't laugh, then life is just a darker place.
She continued this quote with, "What that really means, other than what it sounds like, is, let's say something happens and from a certain slant maybe it's tragic, even a little bit shocking. Then time passes and you go to the funny slant, and now that very same thing can no longer do you any harm.”
"If there's a choice between companionship and anything else..."
"If there's a choice between companionship and anything else — especially career — choose companionship. It's the only thing that has the potential to last. Choose career and you'll spend unreasonable amounts of time attempting to look younger than you are and feeling you aren't succeeding."
This longer quote felt important, as it was in a letter from a 55-year-old Carrie Fisher to her 25-year-old self. It was part of a collection published by Oprah where her team asked 17 accomplished people to write letters to their younger selves.
Besides Fisher, other famous people such as Susan Orlean, Katie Couric, Cecile Richards, and Candy Crowley.
"Tell them that a giant slug captured me and forced me to wear that stupid outfit, and then I killed him because I didn’t like it. "
This one is a favorite among Star Wars fans.
Fisher responded to someone asking how to explain the slave Leia situation to their children. So this was her response.