Just a few short weeks ago, moviegoers from all over were collectively shocked to see both Carrie Fisher and her mother, the legendary Debbie Reynolds, suddenly pass away. And while their fans have been mourning and thinking about Fisher's daughter Billie Lourd, her sudden passing has grave implications for the Star Wars franchise. But more heartbreaking than the loss of General Leia is how Fisher's passing has affected her various cast and crew members. While Mark Hamill has been vocal about his sorrow, Fisher's onscreen son, Adam Driver, has now spoken out regarding her sudden passing.
Adam Driver plays the villainous Kylo Ren in the new Star Wars movies. He recently appeared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, where the host brought up Carrie Fisher's death. It's here where Driver reveals what a loss having Fisher's signature energy missing on set will be, saying:
As you can tell from meeting her, she burns very bright and has such a great, very generous energy. For that suddenly not to be on set or where you're talking about it doing publicity or just in life where you see her around at a Star Wars event. To have her character, not just her character in the movie, but her character missing from that very small unit is a tragedy. ... I think that was the last time I saw her, actually, on set, being Princess Leia.
This should really come as a surprise to no one. Anyone who has seen a single interview or appearance by Carrie Fisher can attest to her captivating and hilarious energy, and it's surely going to be impossible for anyone else on the Star Wars set to fill that void.
While much of the talk regarding Carrie Fisher's death has been revolved around its implications to the Star Wars franchise, Adam Driver took a much more personal approach. He didn't even mention what it meant for General Leia to suddenly be absent from Episode IX. Instead, it was about the woman behind it all- who is perhaps an even bigger hero. Aside from her iconic acting career, Fisher was also a major advocate in de-stigmatizing those who suffer from mental health issues. She was open about her struggles at a point when few were, and she'll surely also be remembered for that.
Of course, Carrie Fisher's death obviously will impact Star Wars moving forward. While she wrapped her role in Episode VIII, she was also set for a major role in the the following movie. Leia's relationship with her son Kylo Ren is presumably going to be at the heart of the next film, as she attempts to get him back form Snoke and the Dark Side.
Carrie Fisher is set to play General Leia for the final time in the untitled Episode VIII, which comes out December 15th, 2017.
