After Dinner Speakers: Carrie Fisher, Barry McCaffrey, The Who

Actress, writer. Born October 21, 1956 in Los Angeles, California. As the daughter of entertainers Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, Fisher became one of the most visible actresses of her generation for her role as Princess Leia in Star Wars (1977) and its sequels. In the early to mid-1980s, Fisher weathered problems with alcohol, drugs and depression, while appearing in a series of largely forgettable films including Under the Rainbow (1981) and Hollywood Vice Squad (1986). But as the decade drew to a close, Fisher again came into her own, both on- and off-screen. In 1987, she published her first novel, Postcards from the Edge, a successful semi-autobiographical tale of a showbusiness mother and daughter. She later adapted the novel into a screenplay. The film featured Meryl Streep and was directed by Mike Nichols. She also turned in a series of solid supporting roles in films such as When Harry Met Sally (1989) and Soap Dish (1991), in which she took a comic turn as a bawdy casting director. She continues to play small roles in prominent feature films. She also has her own interview show with Oxygen Media called Conversations from the Edge with Carrie Fisher. She has also helped revise many Hollywood scripts, including Sister Act (1992),Outbreak (1995) and The Wedding Singer (1998).