Enlarge Image Lucasfilm 
 
 When I first saw Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in 1977's "Star Wars: A New Hope," she was fresh-faced and full of confidence and witty comebacks for the roguish rake Han Solo. 
 
 She didn't suffer fools gladly and she often battled Stormtroopers better than the fellas. She killed Jabba the Hutt with a chain, for crying out loud. 
 
 She was the perfect geek girl role model because she was no damsel in distress. Inspired by her, I wore my hair in Princess Leia buns in elementary school yearbook photos. 
 
 But Fisher, who died Tuesday at 60 after suffering a heart attack last week, impacted my life in much bigger ways than my childhood hairdo. And she was so much more than just a Star Wars icon. 
 
 She battled her own personal demons with courage and honesty. She gained strength and insight from her battles with drug and alcohol addiction and bipolar disorder and wrote about these struggles with wit in her memoirs and semi-autobiographical novels -- "Postcards from the Edge," "Wishful Drinking" and most recently, "The Princess Diarist." 
 
 I finally sought therapy to deal with depression after reading about her own mental health struggles. Her memoirs inspired me to write more personal essays. 
 
 In addition to her popular books, Fisher had a successful career as a script doctor during the '90s, working on such films as "Hook," "Sister Act," "Lethal Weapon 3" and "The Wedding Singer." 
 
 Since script doctors are rarely, if ever, credited on the films they save, many fans don't even realize the impact Fisher had on their favorite movies that don't involve lightsaber battles. Even Entertainment Weekly referred to Fisher as "one of the most sought after doctors in town." 
 
 I took screenwriting classes because I wanted to learn skills that Fisher had clearly put to good use as a script doctor. 
 
 Of course, Fisher is best known as Princess Leia from the Star Wars films, but she her acting went way beyond a galaxy far, far away. She made her mark acting in some stellar comedies including "Shampoo," "The Blues Brothers," "The Man with One Red Shoe," "Hannah and Her Sisters," "The 'Burbs" and "When Harry Met Sally." 
 
 Fisher also appeared on numerous popular TV series including "Sex in the City," "The Big Bang Theory," "Entourage," "Family Guy," "Robot Chicken," "30 Rock," "Weeds," "Smallville" and "Frasier," to name a few. 
 
 When I worked at Lucasfilm as a senior editor for the website StarWars.com, I was always honored when my path intersected with Fisher. Sometimes I'd be asked to walk her to panels at San Diego Comic-Con, or just make sure fans didn't get too unruly waiting in line for her autograph. 
 
 One of my favorite memories of Fisher is the time a twenty-something hipster came up to her at one of her Comic-Con signings and demanded she write something unique and personal on a photo of Fisher dressed in her iconic Slave Leia metal bikini. She winked and wrote, "Bite me." 
 
 She always had a funny quip or story and was thrilled when fans would lavish her beloved dog Gary -- who she took with her everywhere -- with love and affection. 
 
 Fisher didn't just pave the way for more beloved female Star Wars characters like Rey ("The Force Awakens") and Jyn Erso ("Rogue One") to inspire a new generation of fans, she also made me proud to be a geek girl who spoke her mind and went after her dreams no matter what challenges life threw my way. And for that I will always be grateful. 
 
 She will be missed, but her Force will be strong in my memory, always. ||||| (CNN) She may be best known for playing Princess Leia, but Carrie Fisher was so much more than that. Here are seven surprising facts about her: 
 
 She was a sought-after script doctor 
 
 Among the scripts the good doctor rewrote and punched up without credit: "Sister Act" and "Hook." 
 
 Dan Aykroyd saved her life and she almost married him in return 
 
 Story: How she died Story: 7 things you didn't know about her 
 
 Fisher starred in "The Blues Brothers" with Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. Belushi set her up with Aykroyd (whom she calls Danny, by the way), and after a Brussels sprout-related mishap, the two ended up engaged. "I almost choked on some kind of vegetable that I shouldn't have been eating: Brussels sprouts!" Fisher said . "So he had to give me the Heimlich maneuver. He saved my life, and then he asked me to marry him. And I thought... wow, what if that happens again? I should probably marry him." 
 
 John Belushi, Dan Ackroyd, Carrie Fisher on the set of The Blues Brothers. 1977 pic.twitter.com/81d2rNkJAB — Laurent Vachaud (@LaurentVachaud) September 1, 2015 
 
 Meryl Streep played HER 
 
 You know you're somebody when Meryl Streep portrays you in a movie. (Ok, it was a movie adaptation of Fisher's autobiography, "Postcards from the Edge." But still, MERYL STREEP!) 
 
 When Meryl Streep was Carrie Fisher 
 
 I'm checking out.#PostcardsFromTheEdgehttps://t.co/EaQEBMaiFU — DrAmor (@CeroPaciencia) December 27, 2016 
 
 Her emoji game was next level 
 
 She had a way with words ... without using them. She tweeted with emojis. 
 
 Her dog was a celebrity in his own right 
 
 Her pup, Gary, strutted his stuff on red carpets and accompanied her on movie sets. 
 
 Me and mommy fighting over the mic. (But really I just wanted her attention). #CarrieFisher #MaytheForcebeWithHer pic.twitter.com/LJSo3D2LV0 — Carrie Fisher's Dog (@Gary_TheDog) December 24, 2016 
 
 And he had the saddest tweet after her death (at least, the Carrie Fisher's Dog Twitter account did, although we don't quite know who runs it) 
 
 Saddest tweets to tweet. Mommy is gone. I love you @carrieffisher — Carrie Fisher's Dog (@Gary_TheDog) December 27, 2016 
 
 She was an awesome/terrible role model 
 
 Okay, so maybe Carrie Fisher isn't the all-around best role model you could have. She was a self-proclaimed drug addict. She had, shall we say, a creative vocabulary. But, at the same time, she was an amazing writer and comic. She survived bipolar disorder that went undiagnosed for much of her life. And she never took herself too seriously: "If my life wasn't funny, it would just be true, and that is unacceptable." And she personified Grrl Power! 
 
 Carrie Fisher. You taught me that being a princess doesn't mean you need to be saved. My heart is broken. #CarrieFisher #RIP — alisonhaislip (@alisonhaislip) December 27, 2016 
 
 Without her, we'd never know there's no underwear in space 
 
 At least, that's what director George Lucas told her on the set of "Star Wars." 
 
 please honor carrie fisher's wishes and include in her obituaries that she "drowned in moonlight, strangled by her own bra." ❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/Pj5sRsIvkz — elisabeth (@threelisabeth) December 27, 2016 
 
 "He explained: You go into space and you become weightless. Then your body expands but your bra doesn't, so you get strangled by your own underwear." ||||| LISTEN: Carrie Fisher, Terry Gross — And Gary The Dog 
 
 toggle caption Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP/Getty Images 
 
 Actress Carrie Fisher, beloved for her iconic role as Princess Leia, died on Tuesday at the age of 60. 
 
 She leaves behind her daughter, Billie Lourd, her brother, Todd Fisher, her mother, Debbie Reynolds — and her French bulldog, Gary. 
 
 Gary Fisher is a celebrity in his own right — he traveled widely with Fisher and was a star on Instagram and Twitter. 
 
 And when Carrie Fisher visited NPR's studios in New York City, to talk to Fresh Air host Terry Gross, Gary came along, too. 
 
 Gross, however, was in Philadelphia. She didn't know there was a dog in our studios. She didn't even know that was allowed. 
 
 In the conversation that followed, it's impossible to miss the buoyant personalities of both Fishers — Carrie and Gary. 
 
 (And a quick look at the photos will reveal, Carrie Fisher wasn't lying about that tongue.) 
 
 LISTEN: 'Oh, my God, I hear him licking your hand.' 
 
 GROSS: So I have to ask you about your dog Gary who is now a kind of famous dog, and you use him as your profile picture on Twitter. And he's - what kind of dog is he? 
 
 FISHER: He is a French bulldog. 
 
 GROSS: Oh, OK. 
 
 FISHER: And he's right here in the studio with me. 
 
 At it again this morning 🐶📖#garyworkswithhismom #theprincessdiarist #npr #garyinnewyork2016 #garyloveshismom #garyfisher A photo posted by Gary Fisher (@garyfisher) on Nov 22, 2016 at 9:23am PST 
 
 GROSS: Yeah. You get to take him everywhere. It's like — I don't know that they usually let dogs in the NPR studio. You're in the NPR bureau in New York. Is he officially a therapy dog? 
 
 FISHER: Yeah. I — you know, I didn't get him for that, but he's very soothing to have around. He's licking my hand right now. He's just very nice to have around. 
 
 GROSS: Oh, my God, I hear him licking your hand (laughter). 
 
 FISHER: Can you hear him? 
 
 Oh, my God that is such a loud lick. 
 
 GROSS: Yes. 
 
 FISHER: (Laughter). 
 
 GROSS: Let's listen. 
 
 (SOUNDBITE OF DOG LICKING) 
 
 FISHER: (Laughter). 
 
 GROSS: Oh, my God that is such a loud lick (laughter). 
 
 FISHER: Well, he has a very big tongue. 
 
 GROSS: (Laughter). 
 
 toggle caption Barry Brecheisen/Invision/AP 
 
 FISHER: Well, at least it's not that wet, but it's a very, very long tongue. 
 
 GROSS: (Laughter) So did you have him certified as a therapy dog, so you could, like, take him onto planes and things like that? 
 
 FISHER: Yes. Yes. So he sits with me on the plane. Frequently, he sits in the chair, and I sit on the ground. 
 
 GROSS: So how did you find him? 
 
 FISHER: I got him here in New York in the village at a very tragic pet store. 
 
 GROSS: And ... 
 
 FISHER: So he looks like he was from like a puppy mill. He's not — everything is sort of wrong with him. 
 
 Enlarge this image toggle caption Robin Marchant/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival Robin Marchant/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival 
 
 GROSS: (Laughter). So what attracted you to him? 
 
 FISHER: The tongue. No — I don't even know if the tongue was like that when I first got him. It just gradually got longer and longer and never went into his mouth. 
 
 GROSS: I can't believe I still hear him licking you. 
 
 I don't even know if the tongue was like that when I first got him. 
 
 FISHER: He's still licking me. I'll put my hand up. He's very - he follows me everywhere. He's the most well-behaved dog I've ever had, and I didn't train him. He can give you a high five. He sits. He sits like Winston Churchill. 
 
 GROSS: (Laughter). 
 
 FISHER: He really does. I can't even — you have to see — I'll post a picture of what you'll see. 
 
 ... 
 
 GROSS: (Laughter). All right. Carrie Fisher, thank you so much for talking with us. 
 
 FISHER: Well, thanks for talking to me. 
 
 GROSS: And regards to your dog (laughter). Regards to Gary. 
 
 FISHER: I'll lick him for you. 
 
 toggle caption Joel Ryan/Invision/AP 
 
 You can hear the full interview here. ||||| Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, the highly anticipated documentary about the relationship between the late Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, debuted on HBO Saturday. 
 
 Billed as “an intimate portrait of Hollywood royalty in all its eccentricity,” the 95-minute film documented nearly a year of the Hollywood icons lives, leading up to Reynolds’ 2015 acceptance of her Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award, which Fisher presented. 
 
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 It was an emotional project to watch, especially after the recent deaths of both women. Fisher, 60, died on Dec. 27 after suffering a heart attack during an 11-hour flight from London to Los Angeles four days prior. Reynolds died a day after her daughter, at the age of 84. 
 
 Directed by Alexis Bloom and Fisher Stevens, the documentary was filled with amazing tidbits and treats. Here are some of its biggest reveals about the lives of the mother-daughter duo. 
 
 1. The two were an unbreakable pair, even though Fisher recognized that bond came with its downsides. 
 
 Frank Trapper/Corbis via Getty 
 
 Reynolds and Fisher’s close bond has long been well known. But Bright Lights gave insight into just how important it was for Fisher to see her mother happy. 
 
 “If my mother’s unhappy, it lives on my grid,” she explained. “So I both want to and have to help my mother. She was very good to her mother and her mother didn’t deserve it. Debbie deserves it.” 
 
 “I think I’m my mom’s best friend, more than a daughter,” Fisher continued. “My mother really wants me to be an extension of her wishes — an extension of her. And to a great degree, far more sometimes than I ever would want to, I know what my mother feels and wants. And there’s a lot of it.” 
 
 The need to make sure her mother was also content weighed heavily on Fisher — especially as Reynolds got older. At one point in the film, Fisher breaks down in tears thinking about the fragile state of her mother’s health and the obstacles she’s going to have to overcome to make it to the Screen Actors Guild Awards. 
 
 “Age is horrible for all of us, but she falls from a greater height,” she said. “Everything in me demands that my mother be what she always was — even if that was is irritating. She just can’t change, that’s the rule.” 
 
 Fisher admitted that she had made attempts to distance herself from the codependent thought. “I’m trying to let go,” she said. “I should be trying to let go of my daughter, and instead, I’m trying to let go of my mom. So everything is backwards.” 
 
 2. Performing was Reynolds’ passion — and she did not want to retire. 
 
 Loomis Dean/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images 
 
 One of the topics Bright Lights spends the most time exploring is just how much Reynolds loved performing and how heartbreaking it was for her when age prevented her from doing so. 
 
 Discovered by a talent scout from Warner Bros. at 16 and signed to a contract with the powerhouse studio, Reynolds had one of the longest and most illustrious careers in Hollywood — showcased throughout the documentary in stunning archival footage from some of her biggest onscreen hits like Singin’ in the Rain and The Unsinkable Molly Brown. 
 
 But it wasn’t just film. Reynolds had a popular cabaret act that she performed in Vegas and toured the country with for years — though age made it extremely difficult for Reynolds to continue on in her final years. In her two live performances shown in Bright Lights (one in Connecticut and one in Vegas), she struggles to walk to and from the stage and needs assistance from those around her. 
 
 “I have caught up with a few people in age,” Reynolds said. “But like George Burns said, ‘I’m going to stay on stage until I drop dead.’ “ 
 
 “She’ll forget that she’s not 35,” Fisher said. “It doesn’t make sense to her that her body isn’t cooperating. And she just thinks if she ignores it, it’ll go away. It’s very frustrating for her because inside, my mom is the same person. And she doesn’t want to retire. She does not want to retire.” 
 
 “She loves doing it when she’s doing it, but afterwards, she [is] laying on the floor,” Fisher added. “But in a good, dignified, movie star way.” 
 
 Talking Reynolds out of performing seemed impossible, though.”That is like throwing yourself in front of a tsunami,” Fisher joked. “She’s a tsu-mommy… Performing gives her life. It feeds her in a way that family can not. That’s why I think that we’re frustrating. People aren’t cooperative — audiences are.” 
 
 3. Reynolds desperately wanted Fisher to be a singer. 
 
 COURTESY FISHER FAMILY ARCHIVES/HBO 
 
 Reynolds’ love of song is something she hoped to transfer over to her daughter. She groomed Fisher for the business, putting her in her nightclub act when she was 12 or 13. But though the two spent much of Bright Lights breaking into song together — Fisher even joining her mother’s Vegas show to sing The Unsinkable Molly Brown‘s “I’ll Never Say No,” Fisher never pursued the business professionally. 
 
 “The biggest thing that broke my mother’s heart was to not do a nightclub act,” Fisher said. “My mother would say, ‘Do drugs — do whatever you do — but why don’t you sing?’ That was my big rebellion.” 
 
 Her mother wasn’t the only one who had a musical background. Fisher’s father, Eddie Fisher, was a famous singer too. Looking back, Reynolds realized that her daughter’s choice not to sing was really decision to be independent. 
 
 “I guess she doesn’t want to be Eddie and she doesn’t want to be Debbie,” Reynolds said. “So she’ll do it her own way.” Still, the thought of what could have been nearly brought Reynolds to tears. “Love that voice,” she said. “Isn’t that a great voice? Wish I had it.” 
 
 4. It took years for Fisher to embrace the Star Wars fandom. 
 
 Lucasfilm/20th Century Fox/REX/Shutterstock 
 
 Star Wars may have brought Fisher immediate worldwide fame, but it took her little longer to accept the public’s love for Princess Leia. Even towards the end of her life — as she reprised the character for Star Wars: The Force Awakens — it was still a line she struggled to walk. 
 
 Bright Lights documents Fisher attending a comic-book convention, where she meets fans, poses for pictures, and signs memorabilia — all for cash (autographs cost $70 a person, for example). It’s something her assistant said she resisted for years but does at least once a month. She called them “celebrity lap dances.” 
 
 “Celebrity lap dances — which is where celebrities of all shapes and ages sign autographs for cash prizes,” she explained. “It’s sort of like going to a strip club, except they don’t stuff cash in your underwear. But that’s kind of it.” 
 
 Afterwards, Fisher reflected on the experience and the fan reactions she received throughout the day. “They love [Leia], and I’m her custodian,” she said. “She’s me and I’m her and I’m as close as you’re going to get. They talk to me like I’m Princess Leia who happens to have all these difficult experiences she’s gone through. And that’s like me fighting for the Force. 
 
 “It’s nice,” she added. “They’re nice.” 
 
 5. Fisher’s mental health was “a constant battle” for Reynolds. 
 
 Fisher was a passionate mental health advocate after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1985. Managing the illness with medication and electroconvulsive therapy, the actress and writer was outspoken about her treatment, and the lessons she learned by embracing the disorder throughout her life. 
 
 But for Reynolds, watching her daughter go through the negative side effects associated with the disease was tough. 
 
 “Manic depressive is a disease,” Reynolds said. “Now that wasn’t diagnosed then, so nobody knew what was going on with Carrie. When she was 13, her personality changed. So it’s a constant battle — it takes all of us to assure her that she’s loved.” 
 
 “It’s hard,” she said, through tears. “It’s hard. That’s the hardest part.” 
 
 Bright Lights showed archival video of Fisher experiencing a manic episode while visiting the Great Wall of China. The film’s cameras also caught her in an episode while at home. 
 
 “You know what would be cool? To get to the end of my personality,” Fisher joked with the camera, and she broke up her rambling to admit being in the middle of a manic trip. “It’ll go out of style soon, and then I’ll just be quirky.” 
 
 In another video, Fisher revealed the two personalities she experiences and the nicknames she uses to distinguish between the two. “I have two moods,” she said. “Roy is ‘Rollicking Roy’ — wild ride of a mood. Pam is ‘Sentiment Pam,’ who stands on the side and sobs. One mood is the meal, the next, the check.” 
 
 Perhaps saddest was Fisher’s struggle to understand herself amid her disorder — a fight she seemed to continue to have until the very end. “Where am I in all of this?” she asked. ||||| Photos: Carrie Fisher: The galaxy's princess Carrie Fisher is seen as Princess Leia on the set of George Lucas' "Star Wars: Episode IV -- A New Hope" in 1977. The American actress and writer is best-known for her portrayal of Princess Leia in the "Star Wars" movie franchise. Fisher was hospitalized December 23 in Los Angeles after suffering a heart attack. Fisher died on Tuesday, December 27. She was 60. Hide Caption 1 of 23 
 
 Photos: Carrie Fisher: The galaxy's princess Fisher was born in Beverly Hills on October 21, 1956, to Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds. Here, they gaze proudly at their newborn daughter on January 2, 1957. Hide Caption 2 of 23 
 
 Photos: Carrie Fisher: The galaxy's princess Fisher is photographed with her parents and brother, Todd, who was born in 1958. Hide Caption 3 of 23 
 
 Photos: Carrie Fisher: The galaxy's princess Debbie Reynolds makes her first appearance on Broadway in a remake of the 1919 musical "Irene" in 1973. Fisher, seated on the floor, dropped out of high school at age 15 and was featured in the musical as part of the chorus. Hide Caption 4 of 23 
 
 Photos: Carrie Fisher: The galaxy's princess Warren Beatty and Fisher, then 17, take a break during filming of the movie "Shampoo" in 1974. Fisher has acted in films, plays and television shows, and has written a number of best-selling books. Hide Caption 5 of 23 
 
 Photos: Carrie Fisher: The galaxy's princess Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Fisher and Harrison Ford (Han Solo) on the set of "Star Wars: Episode IV -- A New Hope" in 1977. Hide Caption 6 of 23 
 
 Photos: Carrie Fisher: The galaxy's princess Fisher with fellow actresses Amy Irving, left, and Teri Garr in 1978. Hide Caption 7 of 23 
 
 Photos: Carrie Fisher: The galaxy's princess Fisher on the set of "Star Wars: Episode V -- The Empire Strikes Back" in 1980. Hide Caption 8 of 23 
 
 Photos: Carrie Fisher: The galaxy's princess Harrison Ford and Fisher embrace during filming of "Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back" in 1980. On November 16, 2016, Fisher revealed to People magazine that she and co-star Ford had an affair during the 1976 filming of "Star Wars." Hide Caption 9 of 23 
 
 Photos: Carrie Fisher: The galaxy's princess Fisher smiles for a photograph in 1980. Fisher is a well-respected script doctor of such movies as "The Wedding Singer" and "Sister Act." Hide Caption 10 of 23 
 
 Photos: Carrie Fisher: The galaxy's princess Fisher stars in the film, "Star Wars: Episode VI -- Return of the Jedi" in 1983. The 'gold bikini' is one of her most famous costumes as Princess Leia. In addition to her acting career, Fisher -- who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 24 -- has lobbied as an advocate for mental health awareness and treatment and has spoken before the California state Senate. Hide Caption 11 of 23 
 
 Photos: Carrie Fisher: The galaxy's princess Musician Paul Simon poses for a picture with Fisher in 1983. The two were married in August and divorced about one year later in July 1984. Hide Caption 12 of 23 
 
 Photos: Carrie Fisher: The galaxy's princess Meryl Streep, left -- who portrayed a character based on Fisher in the film adaptation of Fisher's 1987 novel, "Postcards from the Edge" -- is seen at the film's premiere in Century City, California, on September 10, 1990. Hide Caption 13 of 23 
 
 Photos: Carrie Fisher: The galaxy's princess Fisher carries Billie Catherine Lourd -- her daughter with talent agent Bryan Lourd. Hide Caption 14 of 23 
 
 Photos: Carrie Fisher: The galaxy's princess Fisher attends a book signing for her novel, "The Best Awful," in Beverly Hills, California, in 2004. The semi-autobiographical novel fictionalized events from Fisher's life. Hide Caption 15 of 23 
 
 Photos: Carrie Fisher: The galaxy's princess "Star Wars" trio Mark Hamill, left, Fisher and Harrison Ford speak during a tribute to filmmaker George Lucas at the 33rd American Film Institute Life Achievement Award event in Hollywood on June 9, 2005. Hide Caption 16 of 23 
 
 Photos: Carrie Fisher: The galaxy's princess Fisher takes part in a dress rehearsal for her play "Wishful Drinking" at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles in 2006. Hide Caption 17 of 23 
 
 Photos: Carrie Fisher: The galaxy's princess Fisher poses with her mother Debbie Reynolds and daughter Billie Catherine Lourd at the 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles on January 25, 2015. Hide Caption 18 of 23 
 
 Photos: Carrie Fisher: The galaxy's princess Fisher takes part in a "Star Wars" celebration event on April 16, 2015, in Anaheim, California. Hide Caption 19 of 23 
 
 Photos: Carrie Fisher: The galaxy's princess Fisher salutes as she poses with a storm trooper at the European premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in central London on December 16, 2015. Hide Caption 20 of 23 
 
 Photos: Carrie Fisher: The galaxy's princess Domhnall Gleeson, left, Hugo Sigman, Fisher, and Damian Szifron pose for a photo at the EE British Academy Film Awards in London on February 14, 2016. Their film, "Wild Tales," won the BAFTA Award for best film not in the English language. Hide Caption 21 of 23 
 
 Photos: Carrie Fisher: The galaxy's princess Tom Hiddleston looks on as Fisher and her dog, Gary, arrive for the 102nd White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington on April 30, 2016. Hide Caption 22 of 23 ||||| CLOSE Carrie Fisher, best known for her role as Princess Leia in the 'Star Wars' saga, has passed away. The 'Star Wars' actress suffered a heart attack on a flight Friday. She was taken to a hospital in L.A. where she died four days later. USA TODAY 
 
 Carrie Fisher signed copies of her latest book, 'The Princess Diarist,' at a Los Angeles event in November. (Photo: Paul Archuleta, FilmMagic) 
 
 Carrie Fisher is most widely known for her turn as Princess Leia in the hugely popular Star Wars films, but the daughter of two entertainers — actress Debbie Reynolds and singer Eddie Fisher — was also an acclaimed author renowned for her trenchant wit. 
 
 The following is a sampling of memorable lines attributed to Fisher, who died Tuesday after suffering a heart attack during a Dec. 23 flight from London to Los Angeles. 
 
 From Twitter: 
 
 "If my life wasn't funny, it would just be true, and that is unacceptable." (2011) 
 
 "There's no room for demons when you're self-possessed." (2014) 
 
 From Fisher's 1987 semi-autobiographical novel, Postcards From the Edge: 
 
 "Instant gratification takes too long." 
 
 “I shot through my twenties like a luminous thread through a dark needle, blazing toward my destination: Nowhere.” 
 
 “Actually, I am a failed anorexic. I have anorexic thinking, but I can't seem to muster the behavior.” 
 
 “Life is a cruel, horrible joke and I am the punch line.” 
 
 “You know how I always seem to be struggling, even when the situation doesn't call for it?” 
 
 “Sometimes I feel like I've got my nose pressed up against the window of a bakery, only I'm the bread.” 
 
 “My inner world seems largely to consist of three rotating emotions: embarrassment, rage, and tension. Sometimes I feel excited, but I think that's just positive tension.” 
 
 From her 2008 memoir, Wishful Drinking: 
 
 “Sometimes you can only find Heaven by slowly backing away from Hell.” 
 
 “I feel I'm very sane about how crazy I am.” 
 
 “No motive is pure. No one is good or bad — but a hearty mix of both. And sometimes life actually gives to you by taking away.” 
 
 “I quote fictional characters, because I'm a fictional character myself!” 
 
 “Having waited my entire life to get an award for something, anything … I now get awards all the time for being mentally ill. It’s better than being bad at being insane, right? How tragic would it be to be runner-up for Bipolar Woman of the Year?” 
 
 From her new memoir, The Princess Diarist: 
 
 “Vultures are difficult to charm unless you’re off somewhere rotting in the noonday sun. Casually rotting … a glib cadaver.” 
 
 “Someone has to stand still for you to love them. My choices are always on the run.” 
 
 “I act like someone in a bomb shelter trying to raise everyone’s spirits.” 
 
 “Movies were meant to stay on the screen, flat and large and colorful, gathering you up into their sweep of story, carrying you rollicking along to the end, then releasing you back into your unchanged life. But this movie (Star Wars) misbehaved. It leaked out of the theater, poured off the screen, affected a lot of people so deeply that they required endless talismans and artifacts to stay connected to it.” 
 
 Sources: Goodreads.com, USA TODAY research 
 
 Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2iB7jvR ||||| The deaths of Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher in the span of 48 hours have left the team behind the upcoming HBO documentary on the mother and daughter reeling from shock. 
 
 “Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds” is a chronicle of the extraordinary bond that mother and daughter forged over six decades in the unrelenting glare of showbiz’s spotlight. Documentary vets Fisher Stevens and Alexis Bloom directed the film, which screened in October at the New York Film Festival and before that in May at Cannes. 
 
 “It’s a love story,” said HBO Documentary Films president Sheila Nevins told Variety Wednesday night after the news broke of Reynolds’ death at the age of 84. On Friday, HBO set a premiere date: Saturday, Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. 
 
 “Carrie wanted to make ‘Bright Lights’ for Debbie and Debbie wanted to make it for Carrie,” Nevins said. The sudden loss of the two women only magnify the importance of Fisher and Bloom capturing the material for the movie when they did. 
 
 Fisher died unexpectedly Tuesday at the age of 60 following complications from a heart attack suffered during a flight from London to Los Angeles. The twin blows have been overwhelming to all of those involved in “Bright Lights,” Nevins said. “If this was a Hollywood script, no one would believe it,” she said, fighting back tears. “They just loved each other so much. The bond was just unbreakable.” 
 
 Related Debbie Reynolds, ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ Star and Carrie Fisher’s Mother, Dies at 84 Debbie Reynolds: A Life and Career in Photos Carrie Fisher, ‘Star Wars’ Actress and Writer Who Rocketed to Fame as Princess Leia, Dies at 60 
 
 Much of the footage for “Bright Lights” was shot about a year ago. The movie depicts the intensely close relationship that mother and daughter maintained through all their personal and professional ups and downs. Fisher in the movie is candid about her recent battles with mental illness. 
 
 “It’s life with Carrie and Debbie. It’s about both of them trying to stand upright, both having their frailties — age on the one hand and mental illness on the other. It’s a love story about a mother and daughter — they happen to be Carrie and Debbie,” Nevins said. 
 
 Directors Stevens and Bloom paid tribute to the pair in a joint statement. The two spearheaded the project for HBO Documentary Films. 
 
 Fisher and Reynolds “were supremely kind human beings, and unusually perceptive. And when either one entered a room, the energy changed. Quite simply, we were iron filings to their magnets,” the directors said. “And never more so than when they were together. These women were more than mother and daughter, they were an expression of exquisite humanity in all its travail and triumph. They lived their days boldly. They sung every song worth singing (often together.) Carrie and Debbie loved each other profoundly. We are devastated they’re gone. And so very fortunate to have known them at all.” 
 
 Carrie Fisher’s goal with “Bright Lights” was to document for a younger generation Reynolds’ legacy as an entertainer — from her wholesome image as the star of the “Tammy” films to musicals such as “Singin’ in the Rain” to her cabaret and comedic chops. “She wanted to preserve all of that for her mother,” Nevins said. 
 
 Nevins became friendly with Fisher a few years ago when they worked together on the HBO adaptation of Fisher’s one-woman Broadway show “Wishful Drinking.” The HBO docu chief spoke to Fisher by phone just last week. 
 
 HBO will air an encore presentation of “Wishful Drinking” in Fisher’s honor on Sunday at 9 p.m. The film tells the story of Fisher’s life, combining her raucous one-woman stage performance, interviews with family and friends, and archival footage. 
 
 Fisher had planned to fly from London to New York to do some work with HBO on “Bright Lights,” Nevins said, but she changed her mind and headed straight to Los Angeles to spend Christmas with Reynolds and other family members. 
 
 Nevins last spent time with Fisher in London in June. She was in good spirits and racing to finish her latest memoir, “The Princess Diarist,” about her experiences on the first three “Star Wars” films. There was already talk of turning that book, published last month, into another one-woman show and HBO special, Nevins said. 
 
 “Carrie wanted to be well even when her mind didn’t let her be well,” Nevins said. “She was perfectly brilliant.” ||||| CLOSE The actress is currently in critical condition. USA TODAY 
 
 Carrie Fisher in October. (Photo: Andy Kropa, Invision/AP) 
 
 Carrie Fisher is being treated in an intensive care unit after a serious medical emergency on a flight, according to her brother. 
 
 On Friday night, Todd Fisher told The Associated Press that his sister was receiving excellent care, but said that he could not classify her condition. He had earlier told the AP that she had been stabilized and was out of the emergency room. 
 
 In a subsequent interview, he said many details about her condition or what caused the medical emergency are unknown, and much of what had been reported was speculation. 
 
 "We have to wait and be patient," he said. "We have so little information ourselves." 
 
 TMZ and the Los Angeles Times reported that the actress, best known for playing Princess Leia in the Star Wars film franchise, was on a flight from London to Los Angeles when she went into cardiac arrest. TMZ reports that the emergency occurred about 15 minutes before landing, and an EMT on the plane administered CPR before landing. The plane arrived just after noon PT and Fisher, 60, was rushed by paramedics to the UCLA Medical Center. 
 
 Fisher's daughter, Billie Lourd, was spotted at the hospital, as was Fisher's French bulldog, Gary. 
 
 The Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed that they responded to a call from the airport, but would not release any additional information, including the name, age or gender of the patient. 
 
 “At 12:11 pm the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a call from LAX for a patient that was in cardiac arrest," Erik Scott, spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department, told USA TODAY. "Firefighter paramedics provided advanced life support and aggressively treated the patient whom was transported to a local hospital.” 
 
 People reports that Fisher was in London to film Season 3 of sitcom Catastrophe, which streams on Amazon in the USA. Co-star and co-creator Sharon Horgan shared a photo with Fisher on her Instagram last week, captioning it, "Me, General Leia and Kylo Ren's hand on the set of #catastrophe3." Horgan's co-creator, Rob Delaney, tweeted Wednesday that the third season of the show was "in the can." 
 
 Me, General Leia and Kylo Ren's hand on the set of #catastrophe3 @hellomerman A photo posted by Sharon Horgan (@sharonhorgan) on Dec 16, 2016 at 11:30am PST 
 
 Celebrities immediately took to social media to express their well-wishes for Fisher, including her Star Wars co-star Mark Hamill. 
 
 as if 2016 couldn't get any worse... sending all our love to @carrieffisher — Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) December 23, 2016 
 
 Fisher has been making waves recently promoting her latest memoir, The Princess Diarist, based on the diaries she kept while starring in the original Star Wars film as a 19-year-old. In the book she reveals, among other things, that she and her co-star Harrison Ford had an affair on the set that they kept secret for decades. She reprised her world-famous role in the seventh film of the sci-fi series, The Force Awakens, which hit theaters in December 2015. She also appears in the upcoming Episode VIII, which is in post-production and set for release Dec. 17, 2017. 
 
 The actress, who is the daughter of singer Eddie Fisher and singer/dancer/actress Debbie Reynolds, is also known for roles in Blues Brothers and Soapdish. She's appeared in guest-roles on TV shows like The Big Bang Theory, 30 Rock and most recently Bravo's Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce and Catastrophe. 
 
 Fisher's reps did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment. 
 
 Contributing: The Associated Press 
 
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– Carrie Fisher died at the age of 60 Tuesday, four days after suffering a major heart attack. Here's how the world is saying goodbye to the writer, actress, and mental-health advocate who will always be Princess Leia to millions: Calling it the "best morning show interview you'll ever see," Digg shares a clip of Fisher appearing with therapy dog Gary on Good Morning America to promote The Force Awakens. "Even the film crew can't stop laughing." Us Magazine remembers Fisher through photos from her life. Vanity Fair remembers when Fisher, in her one-woman show Wishful Drinking, explained why she's not wearing underwear in A New Hope, the answer to which explains why she wanted her obituary to read: "I drowned in moonlight, strangled by my own bra." Celebrities of all stripes are eulogizing Fisher, and io9 is updating a massive list of their tributes to her, including the following from Steven Spielberg: "She didn't need the Force; she was a force of nature." Meanwhile, Jezebel argues Fisher was an unexpected style icon, who recently angered the French by wearing flats and bringing Gary on the Cannes red carpet. "She dressed for the part of herself exclusively, and it was wonderful." Speaking of Gary, NPR says "it's impossible to miss the buoyant personalities of both Fishers" in a recent interview. "He sits with me on the plane," Fisher says. "Frequently, he sits in the chair, and I sit on the ground." CNN has a list of seven things you didn't know about Fisher, including that she's a prolific and well-regarded script doctor, having improved the scripts for Sister Act and Hook, among many others, while also punching up her own Star Wars dialogue. Time has a short piece on Fisher's position as a highly visible advocate for destigmatizing mental illness, having openly discussed her struggles with depression and bipolar disorder. “No motive is pure. No one is good or bad—but a hearty mix of both. And sometimes life actually gives to you by taking away," USA Today quotes Fisher as saying in a list of her best quotes. Finally, Cnet has a personal remembrance of Fisher from a former Lucasfilm employee: "One of my favorite memories of Fisher is the time a twentysomething hipster came up to her at one of her Comic-Con signings and demanded she write something unique and personal on a photo of Fisher dressed in her iconic Slave Leia metal bikini. She winked and wrote, 'Bite me.'"