Actor Harrison Ford reportedly arrived on the set of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back inebriated after a night out with The Rolling Stones. The incident occurred during filming for the sequel to the original Star Wars film.
Reports indicate that Ford and co-star Carrie Fisher attended a party hosted by Eric Idle where The Rolling Stones were present. Fisher, who chronicled aspects of her life and the Star Wars filming experience in her memoir The Princess Diarist, recalled the event.
The two decided to stay awake to avoid a hangover before shooting scenes scheduled for the following day. This led to them filming while still under the influence of drinks from the previous night.
The specific scenes in question were shot in Cloud City and included the exchange featuring the line from Darth Vader, "No, I am your Father." Fisher commented that their state was evident in the footage, noting they were smiling more than usual.
During their time working on the films, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher also had an affair. Fisher later described the relationship as brief.
Speculation about the affair arose during filming, which Ford reportedly denied when confronted by Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker.
Beyond set anecdotes, filming for Star Wars involved interactions with the press. A recently surfaced exclusive interview from 1980 features Anthony Daniels, who portrays C-3PO, and Harrison Ford during a press tour for The Empire Strikes Back. The interview includes lighthearted banter between the actors and interviewer Lola Hall.Reports also mention filming challenges, such as moments on The Millennium Falcon where Ford appeared to prompt Fisher with her lines. This was reportedly due to director Irvin Kirshner threatening to dismiss her if she did not deliver her dialogue correctly.
There have been other discussions regarding Fisher's appearance in Return of the Jedi, with some noting a longer nail on one finger, which led to rumors. Fisher consistently denied these claims.
Reflecting on the affair with Ford, Fisher was quoted saying, "I wasn't raised that way but when you're on location - this is something I discovered - everything is permitted."
