Billie Lourd Asked To Share Scenes With Late Mum Carrie Fisher In Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker

Booksmart star Billie Lourd shared the screen with her mother Carrie Fisher in Star Wars films The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, portraying the character Lieutenant Connix, who works under Fisher's General Organa. Lourd will once again share scenes with her mother in the upcoming Star Wars film Rise of Skywalker, despite the fact that Fisher died following a heart attack in December 2016.

Fisher has been an integral part of the Star Wars franchise since 1977's first film, A New Hope. She reprised her role as Princess Leia (now better known as General Leia Organa) when the franchise was continued by J.J. Abrams in 2015. She was slated to appear in Rise of Skywalker, the film that would close out Abrams' new trilogy, but when Fisher passed away, it was unclear as to how her role would continue.

Now, we know that Fisher will be in the new film, using unused footage from The Last Jedi. In a new interview with Vanity Fair, Abrams stated that he did not want to include Lourd in re-worked scenes with her mother, lest she be uncomfortable. However, Lourd insisted that she and Fisher share the screen as much as possible, for a very sweet reason.

"[Lourd told me,] 'I want to be in scenes with her. I want it for my children when I have kids. I want them to see,'" Abrams revealed to Vanity Fair.

Still, despite Lourd's decision to appear onscreen with her mom, it wasn't always easy for her.

"She would get emotional and sort of have to excuse herself for a minute," Abrams recalled to Vanity Fair of Lourd's scenes with Fisher. "I know it was hard for her for a while."

This isn't the first time that Lourd has honoured her mom through Star Wars. In 2017, Lourd got a celestial tattoo that acted as a tribute to Fisher. The late actress has a similar tattoo, also on her ankle.

Lourd also appeared on the red carpet for The Last Jedi with a hairstyle reminiscent of the one her mother wore in many of the Star Wars films.

Fisher may not be with us, but she certainly was a force to be reckoned with — and as Lourd knows, honouring Star Wars is a lot like honouring Fisher.