Summary

• Carrie Fisher's return as Princess Leia in The Force Awakens was nerve-wracking for her after years away from the character.
• Fisher saw herself as the protector of Leia's legacy, feeling intense pressure to deliver a flawless performance.
• Despite her fears, Fisher's portrayal of Leia in The Force Awakens was a perfect homage to the iconic character's legacy.

Carrie Fisher's first day on the Fisher's performance as Princess Leia is second to none, and truly brought the character to life. Still, even she struggled at times - particularly with The Force Awakens.

Speaking in The Secrets of The Force Awakens: A Cinematic Journey, The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams explained that Fisher hadn't acted in a while and that, as such, "she was nervous going into this." Fisher herself agreed with Abrams' assessment, stating:

It was basically the worst day I've ever had on a film set in my life. Then it ended, and I got to go to sleep and come in another day, and it was better.

However, despite Fisher's anxiety, Abrams expressed that he was impressed with her acting skills. According to him, Fisher seemed to slip into the role of Princess Leia seamlessly. During the documentary, Abrams had this to add to the conversation:

Once we started to do it, she seemed to fall into it very easily. To bring a character to life that you hadn't played in thirty-some years, I mean, I understand for all of them how daunting that could be.

Carrie Fisher Feared She Would Damage Princess Leia's Legacy

Fisher's anxiety was understandable. After all, as Abrams said, 30-odd years is a long time to go without playing a character. To jump into it again would have been understandably nerve-wracking. Fisher worried that, if she did not perform well, Leia's legacy would be damaged. The late actress expanded on this further:

I'm the custodian of Princess Leia, so it's my job to kind of protect her. It's my whole life, so I was very nervous. The first day I had was this massive scene. I was scared that I would make mistakes, and I made mistakes.

The fact that Fisher saw herself as the "custodian" of Leia just goes to show the love she had for this character. This came out in every performance. For example, in The Force Awakens, Leia and Han Solo reunite after years apart, and Fisher played the scene perfectly. She began with a slight, almost teasing smile as she told him that she always hated watching him leave. Her face then morphed into an expression that was the perfect mixture of relief and pain as he hugged her. This excellent performance proves Fisher will always be the perfect Princess Leia.

Even after Fisher's tragic ing, Star Wars has thankfully continued to maintain the best parts of Fisher's Leia in new installments. For example, in Ahsoka season 1, episode 7, General Hera Syndulla is in hot water, as the New Republic is angry at her for going on an unauthorized mission. C-3PO arrives just in time to defend her, delivering a message from Leia saying that she authorized the mission, even when she clearly didn't. This is exactly what Leia was known for, as Fisher's performance in The Force Awakens and more always showed.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is available to stream on Disney+