Star Wars may no longer require that its biggest female star wear a “slave bikini,” but the franchise is still holding on to at least one sexist expectation for its actresses. Carrie Fisher tells British Good Housekeeping that she was pressured to lose more than 35 pounds to reprise Princess Leia in The Force Awakens: “They don’t want to hire all of me — only about three-quarters! 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.” It’s been a decades-long battle for Fisher, who previously revealed that, at 105 pounds, she was originally told she had to get down to 95 pounds to play the iconic role nearly 40 years ago. And while J.J. Abrams has said he hopes The Force Awakens will break the cycle of the films being just “a boys’ thing,” Fisher has already done what she can to ensure it won’t be, at least behind the scenes. Her advice for the film’s new female lead, Daisy Ridley: “Don’t be a slave like I was.”
