Carrie Fisher (depicted at right in the "Slave Leia Metal Bikini" from
Return of the Jedi) was on
The Today Show this morning shilling her new book
Wishful Drinking. And
she let loose what will no doubt be a shocking revelation to millions of fanboys: that she now regrets having anything to do with the Star Wars movies. That if she had known it would become so popular, Fisher would have "never" signed up to be Princess Leia at all. Fisher now blames the instant celebrity that
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and the ensuing sequels brought her for her bipolar disorder, her drug addiction (Cary Grant was brought in by her parents to counsel her to "don't eat acid"), and the failure of her relationships such as her onetime marriage to Paul Simon.
I'm inclined to suggest that adolescent celebrities read what Carrie Fisher is saying here, and that they would do well to heed the wisdom she's offering.
It's safe to say that childhood stars do not go through the most well-adjusted periods compared to "common" kids. And it makes sense that there's a hideous cost to the spotlight at that stage in life. Kids at that age are just then figuring out their own sense of identity. They're going through confusion enough as it is, without being called upon to be a public icon all the time. No wonder so many of them turn to substance abuse: they practically need that to feel numb to themselves.
Thanks to my good friend Eric Wilson for passing the story along :-)