Carrie Fisher, who came to international fame when she played Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy, says that she was pressured into losing over 35 lbs in order to reprise her role in The Force Awakens.
The 59 year old star criticised the producers behind the new movie, which comes out in just over a fortnight, but said that very little has changed since she first started out in the industry 38 years ago.
“They don’t want to hire all of me – only about three-quarters!” she told UK magazine Good Housekeeping. “Nothing changes, it’s an appearance-driven thing. I’m in a business where the only thing that matters is weight and appearance. That is so messed up. They might as well say get younger, because that’s how easy it is.”
Carrie Fisher says she was told to lose 35 lbs to reprise her role as Princess Leia
However, Fisher did change her diet and started working out in order to lose the weight.
“I did it the same way everybody has to – don’t eat and exercise more! There is no other way to do it,” she says. “I have a harder time eating properly than I do exercising. It’s easier for me to add an activity than to deny myself something.”
More: Daisy Ridley given ‘Star Wars’ wardrobe advice by Carrie Fisher – “don’t be a slave like I was”
Recently, Fisher and her Force Awakens co-star, newcomer Daisy Ridley, sat in conversation together for Interview magazine. She advised the youngster to retain control of her outfit in order to avoid becoming a sex symbol – referring of course to the infamous gold bikini Fisher wore in The Empire Strikes Back.
In the new interview, she reflected that the problem with body shape isn’t necessarily to do with Hollywood, and that the concentration on appearance is deeply embedded into wider society.
“We treat beauty like an accomplishment and that is insane. Everyone in L.A. says, ‘Oh you look good,’ and you listen for them to say you’ve lost weight,” she explains. “It’s never ‘How are you?’ or ‘You seem happy!’”
More: Benicio Del Toro reportedly offered villain role in ‘Star Wars: Episode VIII’
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