Reynolds and Fisher honored with humor
Laughter, music and the tapping of dancing shoes reverberated throughout a public memorial to Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher, which loved ones say is just how the actresses would have wanted it.
There were few tears throughout the two-hour ceremony Saturday, which honored the motherdaughter duo’s impact on film, culture and those who knew them with a mix of photos, videos and anecdotes that kept the audience laughing and applauding.
Todd Fisher led the Los Angeles ceremony, which he said was intended to bring fans an intimate view of his mother and sister. He called it a show, saying his mother hated to attend memorials.
Fisher, 60, an actress and writer who starred as Princess Leia in the original “Star Wars” trilogy, died Dec. 27 after suffering a medical emergency days earlier aboard a flight from London. Reynolds, an Oscar-nominated actress for her role in “The Unsinkable Molly Brown,” died the following day at age 84.
Actor Dan Aykroyd described Fisher, his onetime fiancee, as a chatterbox who never let him speak. He described using the Heimlich maneuver on her once, and joked that if he had been on the plane where Fisher fell ill in December, he “might have been able to save her again.” He echoed a sentiment expressed by many early in his remarks. “We really shouldn’t be here this soon,” he said.
The ceremony was attended by several stars, including Rene Russo, Beverly D’Angelo, “Dallas” actress Morgan Brittany, actor-director Fisher Stevens, “Brady Bunch” actress Susan Olsen and actor Griffin Dunne.