‘Wishful Drinking’ book, one-woman show
Carrie Fisher, 30 years ago. Image from Flikr.
Carrie Fisher, more commonly referred to as Princess Leia, appeared on “Today” this morning to talk about “Wishful Drinking.” The piece is both a book and a one-woman Broadway show.
You can buy the book “Wishful Drinking” for about $10 for the paperback or $18 for the hardcover. The book was published last year but just became available in paperback this month. You can get used copies for about $7, so avoid using those credit cards if you can.
Hollywood inbreeding
Part of Carrie Fisher’s show and book “Wishful Drinking” talks about Hollywood inbreeding. She discusses her parents, Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, and the various relationships they entered and quickly exited after Eddie left Debbie for Elizabeth Taylor after Taylor’s husband Mike Todd died.
What follows is a lengthy synopsis of marriages, meant to decipher whether her daughter was related to the grandson of Mike Todd and Elizabeth Taylor. Her conclusion is that they are only related by scandal, not blood, but there are certainly a few near misses.
Show business breeds show business
Somewhat equally dizzying is the fact that Carrie Fisher, who worked in Hollywood, wrote a memoir about Hollywood, and she now performs that memoir on Broadway. This practice of turning celebrity into more celebrity is getting pretty common.
So, Carrie Fisher made a bunch of money playing Princess Leia, and now she makes money talking about the childhood that surrounded that iconic role. Of course, she talks about other things, too, but it all comes back to Hollywood. She talks about doing drugs, being bipolar and views of mental illness in society. And it’s funny!
Comedy of errors
Making people laugh is the main focus of Fisher’s “Wishful Drinking.” She talks about her second husband (yes, she carried on the family tradition of multiple marriages) Bryan Lourd, who left her for a man. She tells Matt Lauer on the “Today” show that Lourd blamed his homosexuality on her drug use.
“I didn’t read that warning on the label,” Fisher says. Watch video of Carrie Fisher on the “Today” show.
Carrie Fisher history
Let’s take a look at the life that lead up to the publication and performance of “Wishful Drinking.” Carrie Fisher had only one small role in the film “Shampoo” in 1975 before she was catapulted to fame through her role as Princess Leia in 1977. She was 19.
She played Princess Leia in the three “Star Wars” movies that were released first. She did some small TV roles back then, and after “Star Wars Episode VI” wrapped, she did bit parts on television, held a few movie roles and did some voice work. She hasn’t had any roles even close to as well-known as her portrayal of Princess Leia, but now she is the star of her own show.
Making a living
Recently, Carrie Fisher has done one-episode stints on TV comedies such as “30 Rock” and “Weeds,” and she has done voice work for “Family Guy.” She returned to her role as Princess Leia, in voice only, for a Star Wars spoof on animated series “Robot Chicken.”
