Perhaps in a galaxy far, far away Princess Leia is nodding her head in approval.
On Thursday evening, the "Star Wars" family gathered in Orlando to celebrate the film series' 40th anniversary. Directors, creators, cast members and fans came together for a panel, which included stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Warwick Davis, as well as Lucasfilm's president, Kathleen Kennedy, and "Star Wars" creator himself, George Lucas.
But the star who wasn't there stole the show.
Carrie Fisher, who passed away in December, was honored with a touching tribute at the end of the panel, led by her daughter Billie Lourd.
The tribute featured behind-the-scenes videos and never-before-seen pictures of the cast, as well as comments from fellow "Star Wars" castmates commending Fisher for her drive, her intellect and, as actor Gwendoline Christie put it, "her fire."
"I loved that Princess Leia was a very strong woman, and I adored how feisty Carrie Fisher was," Christie said in a clip. "I could really sense and feel her fire."
"I love her," Mark Hamill said of his on-screen sister. "I love her when she drives me crazy; I love her when she makes me laugh. She's just delightful."
"She had real courage," former flame Harrison Ford said. "Real gall."
The tribute also included clips of Fisher describing her time as Princess Leia, and the impact it had on her. Decades after filming the first movie, she still remembered every word to her original monologue begging Obi-Wan Kenobi for help.
"I think I am Princess Leia," she said in a clip. "Princess Leia is me."
What might be the most moving parts of the tribute are those that feature Fisher with her daughter.
"I love these movies," Fisher said in commentary as a clip of her and Lourd laughing on set flashed across the screen. "And actually they've become even better for me now because I have a daughter, and she loves them."
As she introduced the tribute, Lourd poignantly recounted her mother's love for the "Star Wars" films.
“Nothing about her was a performance. She loved you; she loved these movies,” she said, standing in front of the crowd in a white Leia-like dress. "She loved the people she got to make them with and she loved this incredible character she got to create — this force called Leia."
Watch a video of the tribute below:
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