Carrie Fisher was expecting to write more books, says Saskatoon interviewer
Tanner Zipchen spoke with the author, Star Wars actress during Comic and Entertainment Expo visit in September
What you saw was what you got with Carrie Fisher, according to Saskatoon man Tanner Zipchen.
He interviewed the author and Star Wars actress when she came to the city for the Comic and Entertainment Expo in September.
Fisher, who portrayed the fearless Princess Leia in the Star Wars film franchise and later penned award-winning books that included touching on her battles with addiction, died at age 60 on Tuesday.
Her mother, actress Debbie Reynolds, died a day later at age 84.
Visiting Saskatoon
In Saskatoon, fans lined up to meet Fisher when she signed autographs at the pop culture expo.
They questioned her on everything from her Star Wars role to her advocacy for mental health.
Zipchen said she charmed the audience with her openness and honesty.
"It was so refreshing to meet somebody like that and just to share her stories in such an open way was incredible," he said.
"And I think anybody who was in that room that day definitely walked away with that."
Fisher had more stories to tell
Zipchen said the Carrie Fisher he got to know behind the scenes was the same person the crowds would see during her interviews on stage.
He hosted interviews with Fisher in Saskatoon and Edmonton shortly before the release of her book The Princess Diarist in which she shared her diary entries from the time she was working on Star Wars. He said she told hilarious personal stories.
In one of them, Fisher recalled filming a scene for The Blues Brothers after she and actor John Belushi had "experimented with — ah — a few things," said Zipchen.
After the scene, Fisher became worried when she realized the police officers on the set had not been extras but real officers.
"With her, what you see is what you get," said Zipchen.
"She doesn't play a different character on stage or she doesn't seem a different way on TV. That's really her: all around, through and through."
Zipchen said Fisher had mentioned to him she "had so many stories and there will probably be more books in the future."
But The Princess Diarist was to be Fisher's last book.
With files from CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning