Carrie Fisher’s “SNL” performance from the ’70s is available online, and as expected, it’s magical
Back in 1978…well, a bunch of us weren’t born yet. And because of this, we missed out on seeing Carrie Fisher host Saturday Night Live. Of course, she was on the show to promote Star Wars. Even though the franchise barely even needs the push of promotion anymore, seeing Fisher outside of her Princess Leia costume was probably good for her back then. After all, she wasn’t yet a household name.
But, of course, Fisher was wearing the signature Leia buns during her monologue. Because, y’know, it was topical.
"I felt a little awkward coming out here in my Princess Leia costume, because it might seem like I’m exploiting Star Wars...But I went along with it because if I came out as myself, who would recognize me," Fisher joked.
And just like that, the world realized that she had true talent.
So, of course it’s fantastic to hear that pieces of her epic performance were uploaded to the internet, all thanks to the Star Wars Archives group on Facebook.
The full episode, by the way, is also available to subscribers through Hulu. You can find Fisher hosting alongside the Blue’s Brothers during Season 4, Episode 6.
But, there’s something a bit more telling about the clip. Showing mainly the monologue, it shows that Fisher just had a natural presence. Live television is tough, and what you see above? Pure talent. In fact, she fits right in with Dan Aykroyd and Gilda Radner.
(We also love the fact that she was willing to make fun of Star Wars, and explain why it’s a good thing that it didn’t come out in the ’50s.)
While we wish Carrie Fisher had the chance to host again, we’re happy that she got to be on the famous stage at least once. And, we’re extremely happy that the episode was preserved, so that we can enjoy a truly incredible episode of vintage Saturday Night Live.
Carrie Fisher was truly an incredible person, and we know that we’ll be mourning her loss for quite some time. Memories like the clip above just remind us how much she meant to so many people.