Carrie Fisher Told to Lose Weight, Talks "Being a Slave" for 'Star Wars'

Actress Carrie Fisher is talking candidly about Hollywood's obsession with weight and appearance. She also took what she learned and gave Star Wars newcomer Daisy Ridley some interesting advice: Don't be a slave to the pressure.

Fisher talked to Good Housekeeping U.K. about the emphasis placed, mostly on women, to be a certain size and look a certain way. Fisher (whose daughter, Scream Queens star Billie Lourd, also appears in the film) says she was asked to lose weight in order to reprise her role as Princess Leia in this month's Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Of the request, she joked, "They don't want to hire all of me—only about three quarters." She goes on to say, "Nothing changes, it's an appearance-driven thing. I'm in a business where the only thing that matters is weight and appearance."

But although she finds this "so messed up," she ultimately did what she was told and lost the weight by making changes to her diet and exercise.

Fisher says that she hates that losing weight makes her feel good about herself, too. "It's not who I am," she says.

The Stars Wars veteran wishes people would focus more on the person, not the looks. "We treat beauty like an accomplishment and that is insane. Everyone in L.A. says, 'Oh you look good,' and you listen for them to say you've lost weight," she explains. "It's never 'How are you?' or 'You seem happy!'"

In the November issue of Interview Magazine, Fisher took these feelings and turned them into some sage advice for Daisy Ridley, who plays the new Star Wars protagonist, Rey. Fisher, who conducted the interview, asks her if she's prepared to be fantasized over by millions of people.

In the interview, Ridley says to Fisher, "They always talk about how you're a sex symbol, and how do I feel about that. I'm not a sex symbol!"

Fisher was famously shown in a gold bikini as Jabba the Hutt's slave in Return of the Jedi.

Referring to this, Fisher warns Ridley, "You should fight for your outfit. Don't be a slave like I was."