When you think of Princess Leia, you probably think of her iconic hairstyle. But Carrie Fisher, who played the role, was anything but happy about it at first.
What’s the deal with Leia’s hairstyle? When Princess Leia first appeared in Stars Wars: A New Hope in 1977, most viewers probably noticed her unusual hairstyle.
Leia wears her hair rolled up on the sides so that it covers her ears. She is the only character in this film to wear her hair like this, so the hairstyle contributes to her recognition. Over the years, the image of Leia has been burned into the minds of fans, and the iconic hair is a part of it.
In fact, Leia only wore the hairstyle in the first part of the classic trilogy. Starting with “The Empire Strikes Back,” the strict look gave way to a more relaxed way of wearing the hair. Perhaps this was at the request of Carrie Fisher, who played Leia, because she was anything but a fan of the hairstyle.
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“You should see what they did to my hair”
What was Carrie Fisher thinking? A close confidant and friend tells of shared experiences in his book “The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir.” Among other things, Fisher initially found her hairstyle in Star Wars strange.
Griffin Dunne writes:
Carrie was getting more and more anxious as the release date of Star Wars – May 25, 1977 – approached. “You should see what they did to my hair,” she would scream into the phone from the set, usually in the morning before she left for the set, for me at four in the morning. “I look like I’m wearing two bagels over my ears.”
Griffin Dune in “The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir”
With a little imagination, there is certainly something to this comparison. Nevertheless, the hairstyle has achieved cult status over the years and will always be associated with Princess Leia.
Where did the idea come from? George Lucas and his team of hair stylists didn’t come up with the hairstyle themselves. They were inspired by a real person, namely Clara de la Roche, a Mexican revolutionary leader. Since Leia herself leads a rebellion, it was a good fit.
What role does hairstyle play today? Carrie Fisher died in December 2016. But her legacy lives on. There were virtual memorial events in the MMORPG SWTOR, and fans are also making sure that the actress is not forgotten. Leia’s hairstyle also plays an important role in this.
Today, many cosplayers use the hairstyle, and online users show how to copy it. It has also made a comeback in the new films.
On the one hand, in Leia’s brief appearance in Rogue One, but also in the character Kaydel Ko Connix in Star Wars 7 and 8. She is played by Carrie Fisher’s daughter Billie Lourd, and also wears the “bagels” on the sides of her head as an homage to her mother. Fisher was also very irritated by another thing on set – it was about a strange clothing rule.