USA TODAY International Edition
Debbie Reynolds’, Carrie Fisher’s final show at memorial
Plenty of show business and laughs in the festivities
Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher graced the stage together one more time during a joyous memorial service Saturday at Forest Lawn cemetery in front of family, fans, friends, a dog, a parrot and even Star Wars droid R2- D2.
Todd Fisher, Reynolds' son and Fisher's brother, organized and hosted the two- hour event, making sure to put plenty of show business and laughs into the festivities to honor the mother and daughter who died within 24 hours of each other in December. Fisher, who was 60, and Reynolds, who was 84, are buried side by side in Forest Lawn.
"I am calling it a show because my mother didn't like memorials, she liked shows," Todd Fisher said from the stage. "This show was designed to be like in our living room, as if we were all a big family having a memorial for two amazing people."
Reynolds' dog Dwight was front and center, along with Fish- er's parrot, a gift from music mogul David Geffen. Dan Aykroyd, who was once engaged to Fisher, gave a moving speech, along with Fisher's childhood friends, security expert Gavin de Becker and producer Griffin Dunne.
The cemetery's 1,200seat theater was filled with well- wishers. Overflow seats were needed for the event, which was streamed live on Reynolds' website.
Fisher's daughter, Scream Queens actress Billie Lourd, was scheduled to attend, but didn't. However, Lourd was featured in a moving clip that showed Reynolds' final show in Las Vegas in 2014. The clip featured Lourd singing with her mother Fisher.
After the service concluded, Fisher told USA TODAY he hadn't heard from Lourd directly but understood her decision.
"This is emotional. It can tear your heart out," he acknowledged. "We're all feeling it. And try being 24 and feeling it." ( Gary, Carrie's beloved French bulldog, was also absent.)
In an emotional moment, R2D2 rolled onto the stage and gave plaintive droid whistles near an empty spotlit director's chair bearing the name of the Star Wars actress, who was known and beloved around the world as Princess Leia. Fisher's brother knelt down and gave the droid a hug.
Aykroyd talked lovingly about the "electric and enchanting" Fisher, even though he found she was having long conversations with singer Paul Simon, her ex, "with whom she was trying to reconcile during our relationship." He had no hard feelings, called Simon "a much better choice."
Co- stars Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill weren't present.