• Newsfeed
  • movies

Carrie Fisher Reveals She Was Pressured to Lose Weight for Star Wars: The Force Awakens

2 minute read

Carrie Fisher said she was told to lose weight in order to reprise her role as Princess Leia in the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The 59-year-old actress was expected to drop over 35 pounds to play the character she originally portrayed 38 years ago.

The star spoke about the emphasis that Hollywood places on the physical appearance of female actresses and the pressure the industry puts on them to be thin.

“They don’t want to hire all of me – only about three-quarters!” Fisher told Good Housekeeping U.K. “Nothing changes, it’s an appearance-driven thing. I’m in a business where the only thing that matters is weight and appearance. That is so messed up. They might as well say get younger, because that’s how easy it is.”

Fisher explained she did what was asked of her and lost the weight but felt conflicted about her decision. “When I do lose the weight, I don’t like that it makes me feel good about myself. It’s not who I am. My problem is they talk to me like an actress but I hear them like a writer,” she said.

You'll Want These New Star Wars Toys Immediately

Star Wars Black Series - Kylo Ren
Star Wars Black Series; Kylo RenHasbro
Star Wars Black Series - Rey
Star Wars Black Series; ReyHasbro
Star Wars Black Series Finn
Star Wars Black Series; FinnHasbro
Star Wars TFA - 12" First Order Stormtrooper
Star Wars Black Series; First Order StormtrooperHasbro
Star Wars The Force Awakens Armor Up - Chewbacca
Star Wars The Force Awakens Armor Up; ChewbaccaHasbro
Star Wars The Force Awakens Armor Up - Poe
Star Wars The Force Awakens Armor Up; PoeHasbro
Star Wars The Force Awakens Armor Up - Finn
Star Wars The Force Awakens Armor Up; FinnHasbro
Star Wars The Force Awakens - Stormtrooper
Star Wars The Force Awakens; 12" StormtrooperHasro
Star Wars TFA - 12" Finn
Star Wars The Force Awakens; 12" FinnHasbro
Build a Weapon - Tie Fighter Pilot
Star Wars The Force Awakens Build a Weapon; Tie Fighter PilotHasbro
Star Wars The Force Awakens Build a Weapon - Rebellion Pilot
Star Wars The Force Awakens Build a Weapon; Rebellion PilotHasbro
Build a Weapon - Rey
Star Wars The Force Awakens Build a Weapon; ReyHasbro
Build a Weapon - Kylo Ren
Star Wars The Force Awakens Build a Weapon; Kylo RenHasbro
Build a Weapon - Capt. Phasma
Star Wars The Force Awakens Build a Weapon; Capt. PhasmaHasbro
Star Wars The Force Awakens - Darth Vader and Ahsoka Tano
Star Wars The Force Awakens; Darth Vader and Ahsoka TanoHasbro
Star Wars The Force Awakens - Dessert Mission
Star Wars The Force Awakens; Dessert MissionHasbro
Star Wars The Force Awakens - Han Solo and Princess Leia
Star Wars The Force Awakens; Han Solo and Princess LeiaHasbro
Star Wars The Force Awakens - Han Solo and Princess Leia
Star Wars The Force Awakens; Stormtrooper Commander and Obi Wan KenobiHasbro
Star Wars The Force Awakens - Speeder Bike
Star Wars The Force Awakens; Speeder BikeHasbro
hot-wheels-star-wars
Hot WheelsStar Wars The Force AwakensEdition; First Order Stormtrooper Vehicle, Kylo Ren Character Car and BB-8 CarMattel

More Must-Reads from TIME

Write to Megan McCluskey at megan.mccluskey@time.com