Stop for a moment and think of every piece of "Star Wars" merchandise you've ever laid eyes on. How many of those toys, T-shirts, cookie cutters, lunch boxes and coloring books featured the likeness of Princess Leia? Now, imagine that Carrie Fisher isn't making a dime off any of it. That's what she tells Newsweek, anyway.
"In those days, there was no such thing as a 'likeness,' which is a funny thing to say coming from the family that I came from. There was no merchandising tied to movies. No one could have known the extent of the franchise. As I’ve gone along, people will come to me and say, 'We got the licensing from George Lucas to make these socks.' So my daughter can walk around on my face. I was shopping at Williams-Sonoma, and they’re selling little sticks of Princess Leia that you put in your cupcake. Who wouldn’t need those? I paid for it," Fisher told the magazine.
The actress tries not to think about how much money she is not making from kids walking around on her face (and the like).
"How much money could I have made from all this stuff? I don’t want to know. It’s too upsetting. I’ve teased George Lucas about this over the years, but he’s never been apologetic. Every so often, I wonder if Natalie Portman is getting more money than the none I’m getting. If she’s holding a check for Princess Amidala’s likeness in one hand and her Oscar in the other, that would piss me off."
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