Carrie Fisher, as well as being a celebrated author (Postcards from the Edge), is perhaps best known for her role as the iconic Princess Leia in the first three (middle three?) Star Wars movies. Fisher is reprising her role as the Princess in the new wave of Star Wars movies under the helm of former Star Trek reboot director J.J. Abrams.
With the new set of three movies, set 30 years after the events in Return of the Jedi, Fisher stars alongside Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford (whether Ford will appear in only one of the three movies is one of the main rumors circulating at the moment: will Han Solo be killed off?) The first movie is titled The Force Awakens.
The annual Oscar Wilde awards, which honor the Irish in film, is just one of various events and more minor awards that take place in the run-up to the Oscars in Hollywood this coming Sunday. With the Oscar Oscars(!), an Irish heritage is not necessary to be honored with the award. The awards are named after the Victorian Irish playwright Oscar Wilde.
Fisher, according to The Daily Mail, received her award to acknowledge her overall career.
Carrie Fisher has acted in a number of movies outside of Star Wars. These movies include Hannah and Her Sisters and When Harry Met Sally. In addition, Fisher has written several books. She also produced an autobiographical one-woman play and the nonfiction book Wishful Drinking, on which the play is based.
Fisher’s award was presented by comedian Stephen Fry. Quoted by the BBC, Fry said: “She’s charted her own adventures and misadventures with mental health and drugs in a way that was really pioneering, and very influential for a lot of people, myself included.”
Other recipients of an Irish Oscar, as Variety reports, included Stephen Colbert of The Colbert Report. An award was also handed out to Irish painter Colin Davidson.
