Carrie Fisher Admired Her 'Extraordinary' Mom Debbie Reynolds For Her Generation-Defying Life

Despite it being nearly a decade since her death in 2016, Carrie Fisher's legacy continues to touch our hearts. Fisher led an interesting life, becoming a global superstar as the iconic Princess Leia in the "Star Wars" franchise when she was only 19 years old. But despite her stardom, Fisher always viewed one person as a source of inspiration, and that was her mother, Debbie Reynolds. Reynolds was also a seasoned, well-known actor, rising to fame in 1952's "Singin' in the Rain," and remaining a beloved member of the entertainment industry for her entire life. Understandably, that left a deep impression on young Fisher. 

In an exclusive interview with "Fresh Air" on NPR, the "30 Rock" star divulged what she thought of her mother. "She's an extraordinary woman," Fisher gushed to the publication. "There's very few women from her generation who worked like that, who just kept a career going all her life, and raised children, and had horrible relationships, and lost all her money, and got it back again." Fisher then went on to reveal what it was like growing up with a famous parent, and that it was not all rainbows and unicorns, as most would think. From being ignored to being accused of arrogance due to family ties, Fisher wanted out of her mother's shadow to be her own person, and we think she definitely succeeded in that. 

Based on pictures alone, you would think Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds always had an amazing relationship. So much so, you could imagine them being like these mother-daughter duos on the 2026 Met Gal a red carpet, wearing coordinated outfits and smiling for the paparazzi. But reality was far bleaker, as Fisher struggled with finding herself. Everything felt centered on her mother, with Fisher's own identity revolving around Reynolds' career, to the point that Fisher admitted she was completely estranged from her mother by the time she hit her 20s. "We had a fairly volatile relationship earlier on in my 20s," Fisher confessed to Oprah Winfrey on her self-titled talk show (via People), "I didn't want to be around her. I did not want to be Debbie Reynolds' daughter."

Things weren't easy for Reynolds either, who was deeply hurt by their strained relationship. "She didn't talk to me for probably 10 years," Reynolds exclusively shared with People. "So that was the most difficult time of all. Very painful, very heartbreaking." But thankfully, the mother-daughter pair managed to reconcile down the line, putting their differences behind them and repairing their relationship. Fisher and Reynolds' relationship was certainly filled with ups and downs, mirroring these books that get the complex relationship between mothers and daughters.