Carrie Fisher’s off-screen journey was as intense as her Star Wars fame. While playing Princess Leia made her a legend, she later revealed a surprising detail from the set of one Star Wars movie – she used drugs, not out of love for them, but out of desperation to get high.
Despite admitting she didn’t even like cocaine that much, the late actress’s honesty about her struggles added a raw, human layer to her larger-than-life role.
Carrie Fisher’s hidden battle: Drug use on the Empire Strikes Back set
During the filming of The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, Carrie Fisher alluded to using c*caine on set, specifically while filming scenes on the icy planet of Hoth. The twist? She didn’t even enjoy it. She admitted to The Guardian:
We did cocaine on the set of Empire, in the ice planet. I didn’t even like coke that much. It was just a case of getting on whatever train I needed to take to get high.
Her drug use wasn’t just an after-hours thing. It seeped into her work life, marking the beginning of her addiction struggles. Looking back, Fisher confessed she began realizing she was doing “a bit more drugs than other people and losing my choice in the matter.”
The years between Star Wars and its sequel brought more than fame; her alcohol tolerance increased, and experimenting with drugs became routine. Fisher, who had a family history shadowed by Hollywood drama, never blamed her background or fame for her addiction, insisting, “It’s always been my responsibility.”
Despite hitting low points, including hospital visits and rehab, Fisher turned her pain into art. She later penned Wishful Drinking and Postcards From the Edge, reflecting her struggles with raw honesty and sharp wit. Her legacy is a fierce, unfiltered look at the realities of addiction beneath Hollywood’s shiny surface.
Billie Lourd remembers Carrie Fisher’s battle with addiction on her 68th birthday
Billie Lourd marked what would’ve been her mom Carrie Fisher’s 68th birthday with a heartfelt tribute. The Scream Queens star shared a throwback photo of Fisher blowing out candles, reflecting on the grief that still lingers years after her mother’s passing in 2016.
In her emotional note, Lourd admitted, “Dead person birthdays are weird,” revealing that this year, sadness took over the usual attempts to celebrate. She also highlighted the harsh reality of addiction, sharing that despite her efforts, Fisher “couldn’t ever escape her addiction.”
Lourd honored her mom’s openness about addiction struggles, hoping it would help others. Last year, Fisher received a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with Lourd accepting the honor in her memory.
The Empire Strikes Back is available to watch on Disney + and Apple TV.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
