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Carrie Fisher Talks Losing Her Father, Her Ongoing Treatment, Lindsay Lohan and 'Wishful Drinking'
by Maggie Furlong, posted Dec 10th 2010 3:30PM
Carrie Fisher is no stranger to headlines. The product of Hollywood royalty -- actress mom Debbie Reynolds and dad, crooner Eddie Fisher, who passed away in September -- Fisher's upbringing was far from normal. You'll get a taste of just how far in her new HBO documentary special 'Wishful Drinking' (premieres Sun., Dec. 12, 9PM ET), where Fisher actually brings out a chalkboard to chronicle the many marriages, remarriages and scandals in her family tree.
She's also quite open about the headlines regarding her health, being bipolar and regularly receiving ECT, or Electroconvulsive therapy (what we often refer to as electroshock therapy). Here she admits she just had another round this week, dispels movie myths of how horrific it is and attempts to prescribe it for a certain Hollywood bad girl.
Plus, would she ever go on 'Dancing With the Stars'? Could the third time be the charm with her and marriages? And how does she feel about still donning those Princess Leia buns more than 30 years after the first 'Star Wars'?
I was actually reading your book the day your father Eddie Fisher, whom you lovingly refer to as Puff Daddy, died. Are you still OK making all the jokes about him, his wives, his bankruptcies and his pot smoking now that he's gone?
Oh yeah -- it was hard at first. I wouldn't say anything he didn't approve and like. He'd seen the show so many times. It's just ... I had to put it in the past tense and all that. It was incredibly sad because I'd gotten really more and more close with him over the years. I took care of him. I found out that was the best relationship to have with him, because he didn't take it for granted. He knew he didn't deserve it. [Laughs] It was nice.
Your impersonation of your mother calling you and identifying herself by name cracks me up. Has she become more aware of her fairytale-like behavior since you started openly skewering it?
There was an overlap point when she heard herself say, "Hello dear, this is your mother," and she got halfway through "Debbie" [laughs]. She doesn't say the Debbie thing as much now, but she's always said it. Now she'll hear herself ... which I think is what's been annoying. If anything's annoying for her, it's that.
I would love to see your mom on Twitter. Any chance you could make that happen?
Nope. There's no f***ing way. But, having said that, I would've said you could never get her online, and she is online. Her spelling isn't all that great, but she's online. She would think of [Twitter] as more of an intrusion, do you know what I mean?
Well it's a different generation -- she doesn't need to tell everyone what she's doing all the time.
Yeah, I feel that way too a lot of times. I can't keep up with all of that. I am on Twitter mainly because [my assistant] Garrett helps me do it. There are periods where I have bursts of blogging. But I am generally writing to make my living ... god, it's a lot of different things to do. Blogging and tweeting and having your regular writing to do -- too much!
You're so brutally honest about the treatment you've received -- is that part of the treatment?
Well it was not recommended when I was in the mental hospital -- "You know, if you can do a show about your sh**, that's the best treatment of all!"
[Laughs] What are you up to, as far ECT and rehab count?
Well you never know ... I have just had ECT this week. I like it. I wish I had done it before. You know, it does quickly what medication does slow. I avoided doing it for many years because of what I'd heard about it too -- basically it just looks like a way for the administration of a mental hospital to torture, or further torture, patients. But that's just dramatically how it's portrayed in movies. It fixes a lot of damage, actually.
I know you're not a doctor, but you've been around enough of them -- is there anyone in Hollywood you'd prescribe ECT for?[Laughs] Lindsay Lohan! No, I don't know. Anybody that seems like they're having a tough time. But you have to be bipolar -- it's not something that you just do, like filling up your car. But thank god it's not up to me.
Lindsay Lohan has become an easy Hollywood punching bag -- there's actually a rumor that she may be on 'Dancing With the Stars' next season.
Noooooo! That's so f***ing sad.
You openly bash reality TV. Is it safe to assume you'd never go on a show like that?
I would never, no. And they've asked me. For a long time now they've asked, but no, I would never do it.
What shows are you watching on TV?I watch HBO -- I watched 'Boardwalk Empire,' I like their documentaries. I'd leave it up to my daughter, but she had me watching 'Breaking Bad.' It's pretty heavy.
Besides your daughter Billie, what makes you happiest now?
Oh, my friends, travelling ... yeah, that's a huge part of it. Shopping with my daughter. I'm vapid enough to admit that.
Do you ever see yourself getting married again?
No. [Laughs] I've been married. I don't think it's something that you should keep throwing yourself at. I don't really see the point. It seems like a ritual that women want, and I can see that -- you know, you have the dress, the thing and the presents -- but I don't really want to see myself in one of those dresses anymore. [Laughs]
But you're OK seeing yourself in the Princess Leia buns, still!
Well yeah ... that's dignity. That's the post-menopausal wedding for women.
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