In the news: Carrie’s Hoth confession, Sandcrawlers in Singapore, and George speaks out for education

I doubt this was the kind of revelation that Lucasfilm was hoping would make waves in the wake of the new Making of book, but it’s been tough to miss Carrie Fisher’s disclosure down under that she did cocaine on the Hoth set of The Empire Strikes Back. “I didn’t even like coke that much,” she says. “It was just a case of getting on whatever train I needed to take to get high.” She goes on to talk about John Belushi and (of course) her show ‘Wishful Drinking,’ which she’ll be performing in several Australian cities through November.

UPDATE: Fisher blogs about the cocaine incident with her characteristic zing:

So, a long time ago, in a nostril far far away, I ventured outside the perimeters of the appropriate by inhaling a substance that would render me less than professional by abusing the privilege of playing the powerful space princess that I had been given.

And yes, she goes on to say, “I suggest you stay away from ingesting this anxious making powder.”

Wait, what’s that? Lucasfilm is building a new facility in Singapore that resembles a chromed Jawa sandcrawler. Pretty interesting, particularly given that the company seems to prefer a more vintage look when it comes to architecture (or maybe that only applies in California.)

The Maker… blogs? George Lucas has come down from on high to blog for The Huffington Post on the importance of education. Note: He probably wrote it on a yellow pad and had one of his many employees type it up, so don’t start holding your breath for his tweets.

Spreading the word. Ashley Eckstein talks Her Universe in an interview with McClatchy Newspapers.

8 Replies to “In the news: Carrie’s Hoth confession, Sandcrawlers in Singapore, and George speaks out for education”

  1. When I was little, I idolized Carrie Fisher because she played my hero in Star Wars. You can imagine how disappointed I was when I learned she used cocaine. There are so many little girls that look up to Leia and Carrie now, the least she can do is try to be a good role model.
    Now, whenever I watch Leia, my view of her is tainted.

  2. She did beat her addiction, and now speaks frankly and with quite a sense of humor about it. I’d say that’s pretty positive.

  3. What a difference between her an Ashley Eckstein, who(though fans may dislike her character), gives young female fans someone positive to look up to and relate to.

  4. I know. :) But I still couldn’t believe it. Imagine being ten years old and knowing that your (then) idol used drugs. Although maybe it wasn’t good that I knew what cocaine was when I was ten. When you’re that age, your heroes are supposed to be perfect.

  5. We’ve known that CF has battled addiction since Postcards from the Edge. I was the 12 year old that Idolized Her. So much so that today, in my 40s I am a member of Rebel Legion and the 501st. I only find strength in her admission. To be disappointed that your perfect image has been tainted, you missed the point.

    1) Princess Leia is a perfect Ideal.
    2) Princess Leia Never did drugs
    3) Princess Leia is FICTIONAL.
    4) Carrie Fisher (and you) have grown older

    If you found out *When* you were ten, then yes, be disappointed. But Now? Really?

    Strong women can have problems and battles. To pretend that there is a perfect ideal and strong women never have problems is unfair to kids. In fact, this is an excellent opportunity to talk to kids about the dangers of addiction, not lament on a “tainted” childhood.

  6. I’m always glad to see Carrie speak frankly about her experiences, and know that she’s come away from her past with enough dignity intact to still be able to respect herself and be active. So many people who have dependency issues and manage to clean themselves up still end up becoming a sort of shell in the process because they become afraid of lapsing through being open and interacting with others on a social level. It’s great to think that we have people in this world who are capable of being open and warm despite the problems that they have had to serve as role-models for those who might otherwise not seek help, or seek help but still live their lives out in lonely desperation because of their own fears.

    Is it sad to think that Carrie was doing cocaine on the set of Empire? Oh god, yes. Is it sad to think of all of the other roles that she may have played if her life hadn’t gone the way that it did? Certainly. But in the end I’d rather have her be in this world as she is than as any other theoretical version.

  7. Oh, and the new Lucasfilm building looks really slick. I don’t usually go for modern architecture, but that slightly bulbous, off-balance style is really great to see in a skyline.

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