Category: Star Wars VIII

Time: Billie Lourd on Becoming the Keeper of Princess Leia

I grew up with three parents: a mom, a dad and Princess Leia. I guess Princess Leia was kind of like my stepmom–technically family, but deep down I didn’t really like her. She literally and metaphorically lived on a planet I had never been to. When Leia was around, there wasn’t as much room for my mom–for Carrie. As a child, I couldn’t understand why people loved Leia as much as they did. I didn’t want to watch her movie, I didn’t want to dress up like her, I didn’t even want to talk about her. I just wanted my mom–the one who lived on Earth, not Tatooine.

I didn’t watch Star Wars until I was about 6 years old. (And I technically didn’t finish it until I was 9 or 10. I’m sorry! Don’t judge me!) My mom used to love to tell people that every time she tried to put it on, I would cover my ears and yell, “It’s too loud, Mommy! Turn it off!”–or fearfully question, “Is that lady in the TV you?” It wasn’t until middle school that I finally decided to watch it of my own accord–not because I suddenly developed a keen interest in ’70s sci-fi, but because boys started coming up to me and saying they fantasized about my mom. My mom? The lady who wore glitter makeup like it was lotion and didn’t wear a bra to support her much-support-needed DD/F’s? They couldn’t be talking about her! I had to investigate who this person was they were talking about.

So I went home and watched the movie I had forever considered too loud and finally figured out what all the fuss was about the lady in the TV. I’d wanted to hate it so I could tell her how lame she was. Like any kid, I didn’t want my mom to be “hot” or “cool”–she was my mom. I was supposed to be the “cool,” “hot” one–not her! But staring at the screen that day, I realized no one is, or ever will be, as hot or as cool as Princess F-cking Leia. (Excuse my language. She’s just that cool!)

Later that year, I went to Comic-Con with my mom. It was the first time I realized how widespread and deep people’s love for Leia was, even after so many years. It was surreal: people of all ages from all over the world were dressed up like my mom, the lady who sang me to sleep at night and held me when I was scared. Watching the amount of joy it brought to people when she hugged them or threw glitter in their faces was incredible to witness. People waited in line for hours just to meet her. People had tattoos of her. People named their children after her. People had stories of how Leia saved their lives. It was a side of my mom I had never seen before. And it was magical.

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Videos | Billie Lourd at Star Wars: The Last Jedi Los Angeles Premiere



Billie Lourd Will Return With A Larger Role In ‘Star Wars Episode 8’

Billie Lourd was on the red carpet for Fox’s Scream Queens at Paleyfest on Saturday night. We’ll have a full story on Scream Queens later but we got the chance to ask Lourd about her brief appearance in the Star Wars saga. As you probably know, Lourd is Carrie Fisher’s daughter and you may have spotted her in the Resistance base scenes of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. But will she return for Rian Johnson‘s Star Wars Episode VIII?

So, first of all, Rian Johnson has definitely asked Lourd to appear in Episode VIII, she tells us.

“Yes,” Lourd said. “I can’t say much about it but yes.”

Another reporter on the press line even asked Lourd what is next for her, and Star Wars is the only upcoming project she brought up.

“I am working on Star Wars VIII but that’s all I can say,” she said.

Now don’t worry if you’re reading this thinking, “Who did Billie Lourd play in The Force Awakens and why is she in the next one?” She was an Easter egg to pay homage to the Fisher legacy, but her character was Lieutenant Connix. Since the former Princess Leia is now a general, Connix is in her unit. She asks her mom, “General, are you seeing this?” while Leia watches from her command center.

Wherever Johnson is taking the story, we can imagine General Leia has a need for her lieutenants. Lourd confirmed to us that her role will be bigger in Episode VIII, although not exactly how much more screen time she’d have.

“Oh yeah, yeah,” Lourd told us. “The last one was a little Where’s Waldo-y.”

Lourd knew enough to be cagey about her participation in the next Star Wars film, but also say enough with inflection that doesn’t translate into print. Our last question was would she have more scenes with her mother. Lourd’s suggestive answer implies that she very well could. She is Leia’s lieutenant, after all.

“Maaaaaybe,” Lourd said as she moved down the line.

Star Wars: Episode VIII is now filming. It will be released December 15, 2017. Scream Queens returns for season two on Fox in the fall.

Source: Slash Film