Carrie Fisher was born October 21, 1956 to a privileged life in Beverly Hills, California. She was the daughter of actor Eddie Fisher and actress Debbie Reynolds. They were divorced when she was only 2. Carrie started acting in her young teens to help with her mother's night club act. Everything in her life seemed okay, at least at the time.

At the age of 15, she was diagnosed with bipolar disease and manic depression. Her mother, Debbie, claims that manic depression runs in the family and that both her and Carrie's father suffer from the ailing disease. Despite these setbacks, Carrie still went on to be a predominant actress and starred in the Star Wars trilogies as Princess Leia along with Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford. Of those three though, only Harrison Ford went onto become a famous actor. Carrie and Mark's acting career did not advance far after Star Wars.

During the 1970's, Carrie began using cocaine for recreational use which unfortunately lead to an addiction. In the 1980's, she developed a severe alcohol problem along with her drug use, and finally, she was hospitalized in 1985 after an overdose. She reluctantly agreed to enter rehab. Many analysists contribute her drug use to why she never became a more successful actress after Star Wars. Never once though did she use the excuse of being a bipolar or depression to constitute her drug use, and Carrie should be congratulated for seeking help and overcoming drugs.





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