Carrie Fisher was always known for her sense of humor, and it was her quick wit that made her an enduringly popular star for decades, although of course it obviously helped that she played a starring role in one of the most iconic sci-fi franchises in history. While Fisher will always be linked to Princess Leia and Star Wars, there was so much more to the actress’ career, and since her death, many friends and colleagues have come forward with hilarious anecdotes from their time working with her.
Sequel Trilogy star Greg Grunberg, who played Resistance pilot Snap Wexley, is the latest to speak out on how endearing Fisher was on set, revealing that the first time he ever met her during shooting for The Force Awakens, he quickly overcame his nerves about working with one of his childhood idols after she introduced herself to him in a rather upfront way, something that took J.J. Abrams’ childhood friend and frequent collaborator by surprise, as he revealed in a recent interview.
“We hit it off very quickly. We’re both filthy, fun, prepared actors, and we have the same sense of humor. I gave her sh*t the first minute I saw her. On The Force Awakens, my first scene was actually a scene where she’s cutting my character down, and then she walked towards me… She walked right towards me, wrapped her arms around me and grabbed my ass. And I didn’t even know her! I was thinking, ‘This is Carrie Fisher! I’m such a fan’. So, she did that, and J.J. walked up to me and goes, ‘Welcome to Star Wars‘.”
Leia’s return in the most recent installments went down hugely well with both longtime and newer fans of the franchise, and her tragic passing hit them hard, as well as the crew who were in the midst of working on The Last Jedi at the time. The Rise of Skywalker managed to give Princess Leia a fitting sendoff using footage they already had, bringing a tear to many an audience member in the process, but stories of her irreverent behavior and wicked humor from people like Greg Grunberg and the countless others that she shared a set with over the years will bring smiles to those who knew her personally, as well as millions of Star Wars fans.
