50 of the best television guest stars
By Sundi Rose
Photo: NBC
Carrie Fisher – 30 Rock
Carrie Fisher could show up at my IRS audit and make it fun and interesting. The late star may have been best known for her role as Princess Leia, but she had some real comedy chops. She turns up in the role of Liz Lemon’s writer idol, Rosemary Howard, to offer Liz a look at her future at The Girlie Show.
Just like everything she did, Fisher’s cameo was whip-smart, self-referential, and so very, very badass. Rosemary was jaded and eager, and forced Liz to reexamine her contributions to the conversation about feminism and television. Rosemary offered a look at a future version of Liz that epitomized her struggle between caving to the demands of the corporate network and her own values about art and politics.
As one of Fey’s heroes in real life, Fisher’s cameo was brilliant in that it took on her iconic role as Leia and it’s conflicting feminist messages. Liz was openly adoring of the movie princess, so having the real Leia appear as a cynical, failing idol is a genius piece of meta television.
To reduce Carrie Fisher to one role in a commercial franchise would be desperately unfair, and this guest role is just the tip of what she was capable of.