Tina Fey Pays Tribute To Carrie Fisher

Apart from being a film actor, Carrie Fisher was an accomplished script doctor and writer who made memorable cameos in some beloved television shows throughout the years. Following the devastating news of Fisher's death following a heart attack, many of her actor friends and fans have been publicly mourning the loss of the brilliant force in entertainment. Fisher had a memorable guest spot on 30 Rock, and following her death the series' star and creator, Tina Fey, paid a beautiful tribute to Fisher, proving again how important she was, in particular to women in the entertainment business.

Back in 2007, Fisher made a guest appearance on 30 Rock, which earned her her first Emmy nomination. She played Liz Lemon's childhood idol Rosemary Howard, who ended up being almost as kooky as Fisher in real life. In a heartbreaking statement to Time, Fey chose to focus on Fisher's gifts for writing and how she influenced her. Fey shared,

“Carrie Fisher meant a lot to me. Like many women my age, Princess Leia occupies about sixty percent of my brain at any given time. But Carrie’s honest writing and her razor-sharp wit were an even greater gift. I feel so lucky that I got to meet her. I’m very sad she is gone.”

There is something special about seeing a younger, equally talented woman in the business speaking about how much she admired Fisher. I also love that Fey looked beyond Fisher's portrayal of Princess Leia and acknowledged all of the fascinating gifts and facets that made up Carrie Fisher. She was a comedian. She was a writer. She was a talented script doctor. She was a feminist. She was a mental health advocacy warrior.

Many celebrities, especially women, expressed this same sentiment about Fisher in the flood of social media tributes following her death. Fisher meant a lot to women who looked for a champion who was genuine. She was a multi-talented woman with incredible wit, kindness, and a tenacity to live life only as herself, no matter how bad or good it got.