How Star Wars actors’ careers have changed through the decades

2. Carrie Fisher

Aside from a small part in Shampoo two years earlier, Carrie Fisher had primarily been known as the daughter of Debbie Reynolds before being cast as the iconic cinnamon roll-bunned Princess Leia in A New Hope.

The youngest of the three main leads, Fisher’s star quality was eminent with her beauty, presence, and chemistry with her fellow actors radiating through the screen. Fisher’s incisive wit and sharp humor also prevailed, both on camera and behind the scenes.

After the end of the original trilogy, it didn’t take long for Fisher to find her footing in Hollywood. She shined in supporting roles in iconic films like Hannah and Her Sisters, When Harry Met Sally, and Soapdish.

Meanwhile, Fisher developed her career as a writer, publishing over eight memoirs and books and quietly working as one of the most sought-after script doctors in Hollywood working on films like Hook and Sister Act, not to mention her contributions to Star Wars itself.

However, Fisher’s acting career slowed down in the late ’80s and ’90s as she raised her daughter and struggled with addiction, leading to her working more selectively on camera. Fisher continued to work through the end of her life, appearing in the newest Star Wars trilogy, the series Catastrophe, and the documentary Bright Lights alongside her mother.