Carrie Frances Fisher (born October 21, 1956) is an American actress, novelist, screenwriter, and performance artist. She is best known for her portrayal of Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy, and will reprise the character in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. She is also known for her bestselling novel Postcards from the Edge and screenplay for the film of the same name, as well as her autobiographical one-woman play and the nonfiction book Wishful Drinking on which it is based.