Billie Lourd Honored ‘Connection’ With Late Mom Carrie Fisher On Her ‘Magical’ Wedding Day

Apr 15, 2022 by apost team

The late Carrie Fisher was a beloved actress and writer. Of course, she is still best known for playing the role of Princess Leia in the “Star Wars” franchise, but Carrie was in a number of other films as well. These include, “Shampoo,” “The Blues Brothers,” “The 'Burbs” and “When Harry Met Sally.” She was also nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards for her guest performances on the tv series “30 Rock” and “Catastrophe.” 

Carrie was born on October 21, 1956, in Burbank, California. She is the daughter of actress Debbie Reynolds and singer Eddie Fisher. Sadly, her parents divorced in 1959 when she was just 2-years-old. Carrie was known as a bookworm when she was growing up due to her love of reading. She attended Beverly Hills High School until she was 16, and then dropped out to appear in “Irene,” on Broadway, which was also starring her mother.

The actress made her film debut at the age of 17 in “Shampoo,” which was released in 1975. It was only a couple of years later that Carrie starred as Princess Leia in “Star Wars,” launching her and her castmates into superstardom. 

In her personal life, Carrie was married to Paul Simon from 1983 to 1984, and they dated again for a while after their divorce. She was later attached to Bryan Lourd for a time, and they share a daughter named Billie Lourd. Billie is an actress as well and even appeared as a stand-in for her mom in “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” after Carrie’s passing. Read on to learn more about this and to see how Billie honored her late mother on the day she got married to producer Austen Rydell.

“Star Wars” is a franchise that continues to thrill fans across generations. While rebooting the series had several drawbacks, one of the most recent hurdles that producers faced was how to continue the character of General Leia Organa after Carrie’s passing.

Movie producers found themselves considering several different options for finishing out the new trilogy without the beloved star; however, some were quickly ruled out. Director J.J Abrams assured fans that there would be no digital re-creation of Carrie, nor would they be willing to cast someone else for the part.

They needed a way to memorialize Carrie’s life and her long-time role as the star heroine in the series. Ultimately, the producers determined that they would use previous footage from other movies and combine it with a very special actress – Carrie’s own daughter, Billie.

When “The Rise of Skywalker” had a flashback scene that needed Leia on set, the team used some technology to set the magic in motion. Using Billie as a stand-in, producers were able to then superimpose Carrie’s own face over that of her daughter. The result is stunning! Although Billie looks little like her mother, technology produced a flawless recreation of Carrie as Leia.

Those involved in the filmmaking explain that the entire process was very poignant and not something that was taken lightly in any manner. Seeing this young woman step up and help her mom finish the role as Leia was certainly heart-wrenching.

Ultimately, “The Rise of Skywalker” provides not only an action-packed adventure in the “Star Wars” franchise, but also has become a memorial to Carrie thanks to her daughter’s willingness to step up and commemorate her life.

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Billie has not let her mother’s passing stop her from including her in the big moments of her life. On her wedding day in March 2022, Billie wore a gown that was created by designers who had previously worked with her mom. Billie told Vogue:

“I discovered Kate and Laura (Mulleavy, Rodarte’s designers) after they interviewed my mom for an article in 2014 and immediately fell in love. So when I started thinking about who I wanted to design my wedding dress, they were the first people who came to mind…. I also felt a strong connection to them because of their connection to my mom.”

Keeping with tradition, Billie’s engagement ring featured a diamond that was originally set in the ring that her father used to propose to her mom. Her “something old” was a pair of vintage Neil Lane diamond studs that were a gift from her dad. Billie’s “something blue” was a blue fire opal ring that was her mom’s favorite. And her “something borrowed” was a ring that Carrie had gifted to one of her close friends.

For her after-party dress, Billie honored her grandmother with a look that could be mistaken for something of  Reynolds’s. “It was inspired by my glam-ma Debbie Reynolds’s iconic dance outfits that she used to wear in all of her shows and is probably the most fun party outfit of all time,” Billie shared. 

At the end of the ceremony, Billie honored her mom once again with something Carrie would have loved. Billie said, “And in true Carrie fashion, we threw glitter in the air at the end of the ceremony. It was magical. I could not have dreamed up a more perfect wedding.”

What do you think of the way Billie has honored her late mother? Have you seen any of Billie’s work? Let us know and be sure to send this along to your friends and family that adore Carrie Fisher.