In addition to her iconic performance in the Star Wars saga, Carrie Fisher will forever be remembered the world over for her unique way with words.
Having already enjoyed success as an actor, Carrie went on to make a name for herself as an author in the later years of her career, and it’s definitely fair to say she had a distinctive turn of phrase, both in her writing and when being interviewed.
In honour of Star Wars Day, we’re reflecting on the life of the incomparable Carrie Fisher and remembering some of her wittiest, smartest and most poignant one-liners…
1. “The older you get, the easier it is to spot the phoneys. And I just think, how unpleasant for them.”
2. “Instant gratification takes too long.”
3. “I don’t want my life to imitate art, I want my life to be art.”
4. “As you get older, the pickings get slimmer, but the people don’t...”
5. “In my opinion, living with manic depression takes a tremendous amount of balls... At times, being bipolar can be an all-consuming challenge, requiring a lot of stamina and even more courage, so if you’re living with this illness and functioning at all, it’s something to be proud of, not ashamed of.”
6. “I’m actually in the Abnormal Psychology textbook. Obviously my family is so proud. Keep in mind though, I’m a Pez dispenser and I’m in the Abnormal Psychology textbook. Who says you can’t have it all?”
7. “If [my issues] are going to be public, I would rather them to be public the way I’ve experienced them rather than someone else assuming things about me. It’s freeing to do it. Shame is not something I aspire to.”
8. “Going through challenging things can teach you a lot, and they also make you appreciate the times that aren’t so challenging.”
9. “You’re only as sick as your secrets. Either it comes out their way or my way. I talk about myself behind my back. And I’m funny about it.”
10. “If anything, my mother [Debbie Reynolds, pictured above] taught me how to sur-thrive. That’s my word for it.”
11. “I am truly a product of Hollywood in-breeding. When two celebrities mate, someone like me is the result.”
12. “I don’t hate hardly ever, and when I love, I love for miles and miles. A love so big it should either be outlawed or it should have a capital and its own currency.”
13. “Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.”
14. “I don’t want to be thought of as a survivor because you have to continue getting involved in difficult situations to show off that particular gift, and I’m not interested in doing that anymore.”
15. “I had a lot of fun killing Jabba The Hutt. They asked me on the day if I wanted to have a stunt double kill Jabba. No! That’s the best time I ever had as an actor.”
16. “I’m fond of kissing. It’s part of my job. God sent me down to kiss a lot of people.”
17. “Youth and beauty are not accomplishments, they’re the temporary happy by-products of time and/or DNA. Don’t hold your breath for either.”
18. “When you’re young you want to fit in. Hell, I still want to fit in with certain humans, but as you get older you get a little more discriminating.”
19. “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.”
20. “I heard someone say once that many of us only seem able to find heaven by backing away from hell. And while the place that I’ve arrived at in my life may not precisely be everyone’s idea of heavenly, I could swear sometimes ― I hear angels sing.”
