CARRIE FISHER

We lost a legend recently when Carrie Fisher died, way too young, at 60. She was born into show-biz royalty as the daughter of heart-throbs Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher. And her mother died the day after her! Ms. Fisher had terrible drug problems and was diagnosed as having bi-polar disease. She spoke publicly on that condition frequently. She wrote the autobiographical novel Postcards From The Edge, which was made into a successful movie starring Meryl Streep. She was a legendary “script doctor” who saved many movies from the trash bin by skillfully rewriting the dialog. 
She will always be Princess Leia. Her character was a strong, yet feminine, woman in the first three Star Wars movies. Who could forget her first appearance in Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) in a hologram, with her signature “double bagel” hairdo (which she hated). She continued as the legendary princess in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983). She reappeared briefly in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and will be seen for the last time in Episode VIII, scheduled for release this year.
But her acting career stretched way beyond the galaxy far, far away. Her first notable role was a the young, impressionable Lorna in Shampoo (1995). Warren Beatty is the star, playing a hairdresser who beds many beautiful women. Julie Christie, Goldie Hawn and Lee Grant are some of them. 
John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd are The Blues Brothers (1980), funky musicians trying to save the orphanage where they were raised. They are beset by a not-very-nice mystery woman, played with aplomb by Carrie Fisher.
In Garbo Talks (1984) Estelle Rolfe (Anne Bancroft) has a dying wish to meet her idol, Greta Garbo. Ron Silver plays her son, who wants to make the meeting happen. Carrie Fisher plays his not very sympathetic wife, who leaves him in the lurch. 
Woody Allen’s Hannah And Her Sisters (1986) stars Mia Farrow as Hannah, and Diane Wiest and Barbara Hershey as her sisters. Carrie Fisher plays April, at first a  business partner of Wiest’s Holly, and later in the film Holly’s competition for a part in a movie. 
Carrie Fisher plays Marie, best friend of title character Sally (Meg Ryan) in When Harry Met Sally (1989). Sally introduces Marie to Jess (Bruno Kirby ) and they hit it off so well they get married, while Sally and Harry (Billy Crystal) have yet another fight at the wedding banquet. There’s another wedding at the end of the movie- no big surprise! 
Soapdish (1991) stars Sally Field and Kevin Kline as two of the actors in the long-running soap opera, The Sun Also Sets (!). Hi-jinks ensue when one of the actors ad libs a complete plot change while the show is live on the air. Carrie Fisher plays the network receptionist, with a few good scenes. 
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. All except Shampoo and Soapdish are fine for all ages.