Carrie Fisher was honored by a dear and old friend at a public celebration of her and her mother Debbie Reynolds‘ lives, which was livestreamed Saturday.
Star Wars droid R2-D2 made a cameo appearance onstage alongside Carrie’s brother and Debbie’s son Todd Fisher, who hosted the event at a reception hall at the Hollywood Hills’ Forest Lawn Memorial Park, where both actresses were laid to rest together at a private funeral in January.
“My mother didn’t like memorials or funerals,” Todd, 59, told the crowd Saturday. “She liked shows, parties…so this show was really time for you to be in our living room as if we were all a big family.”
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Carrie, 60, and her 84-year-old veteran actress mom died within one day of each other last December.
“She said to me many times, ‘I never want to go to my daughter’s funeral,'” Todd recalled. “So she said, ‘I would like to change my burial plans and I would like to buried with Carrie. I didn’t know she was going to leave us the very next day.”
Home videos of a young Carrie with her family, as well as scenes of her as Princess Leia in four Star Wars films, most recently Star Wars: The Force Awakens, were screened at the event, as was footage of Debbie in her own movies.
Artifacts from the family’s life, including Debbie’s old Hollywood artifacts, which she famously collected, were also displayed at the entrance to the venue.
Two groups of dancers also performed, including one that tap-danced to Debbie’s famous dance from Singin’ in the Rain. A male choir also performed “True Colors,” made famous by Cyndi Lauper, in her honor.
Dan Aykroyd, who was once engaged to Carrie and starred with her in The Blues Brothers, took the podium to deliver some sweet words about the star.
“Although Carrie and I did not get married, we had taken blood test in anticipation of maybe having a child,” he said. “So what would the offspring of Princess Leia and Elwood Blues turn out like? Funny? Quick? Spiritual, haunted, pursued, talented, acerbic…deviant, manic, genius…in other words, we would’ve had Todd Fisher.”
Other celebs who attended the memorial included Todd’s wife and former One Life to Live star Catherine Hickland, actor Griffin Dunne, one of Carrie’s longtime friends, and actress Connie Fisher, 78, who used to be married to Carrie and Todd’s dad Eddie Fisher, who died in 2010.
In addition to Todd, Carrie is survived by half-sisters Joely Fisher, 49, and Tricia Leigh Fisher, 48, and daughter and Scream Queens actress Billie Lourd, 24, who is now caring for the actress’ French bulldog, Gary.
Debbie’s dog, a terrier mix named Dwight, was spotted at the memorial, being led by one of the actress’ friends.
—Reporting by Alli Rosenbloom