George Lucas, the director of the first “Star Wars” film trilogy, had a special requirement for Princess Leia’s costume: she should not wear a bra. When asked why, he provided an interesting answer.
Carrie Fisher († December 2016) became internationally known and celebrated as Princess Leia in the Star Wars films. Director George Lucas had very specific ideas about how the character should look in the film.
One detail seemed to him so important that he made a specific requirement to the actress regarding the costume.
Here you see a trailer for the fourth Star Wars film with Carrie Fisher:
“So you would be strangled by your own bra”
Carrie Fisher wrote in her 2008 book titled Wishful Drinking about the director’s special requirement.
In the first Star Wars film of the original trilogy, Carrie Fisher, in her role as Leia, wore a white dress. On the first day of shooting, the director came to the actress, looked at the costume, and said: “You can’t wear a bra under the dress.” (via buzzfeednews)
Subsequently, Carrie Fisher asked what the reason for this was. The director replied: “Because… there is no underwear in space.”
He was said to have sounded very convincing: “As if he had been in space, looked around, and had seen no bras or underwear or panties.”
Later, at a show in Berkeley, George Lucas provided the actress with a more detailed explanation backstage as to why one should not wear a bra in space, as Carrie Fisher wrote in her book:
So, what happens is you travel into space and become weightless. So far, so good, right? But then your body expands??? But your bra doesn’t – so you would be strangled by your own bra.
Carrie Fisher in Wishful Drinking, via buzzfeednews
The actor who played Chewbacca nearly had a fatal accident while filming Return of the Jedi. You can read more about it here at our colleagues from Moviepilot.
Carrie Fisher took it humorously and further commented in her book: “I tell my younger friends that, no matter how I pass, I want it to be reported that I drowned in moonlight, strangled by my own bra.”
Anyone who loves Star Wars and is looking for more good sci-fi movies should check out this list. Maybe there’s something for you:
