Writer/director Kevin Smith recently revealed the unique condition that Carrie Fisher had to appear in his 2001 comedy, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. While not exactly a sequel to Clerks, the movie is still part of the universe, focusing on the titular drug dealers played by Smith and Jason Mewes. Considering the title is a direct reference to Empire Strikes Back, Princess Leia star Carrie Fisher also had a role, portraying the Nun, who provides the characters with a car ride.
In a YouTube video for GQ to promote his new film, The 4:30 Movie, Smith broke down his most iconic films, including Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. One of the anecdotes he shared was about how Carrie Fisher agreed to appear in the film. Rather than asking for an exorbitant fee, or even the actor’s salary, the Star Wars alum asked only for the amount needed to cover a pair of antique beaver chairs that she had been eyeing up. Read his full account below:
…when Carrie came, she said, “What you are going to pay me is the value of these two antique beaver chairs that I’ve had my eye on for the last month. So you guys buy me those beaver chairs, and I’ll be in the movie.” And so we did. We bought her the beaver chairs. I think they were like three thousand bucks or something like that…. So she shows up on the day we shoot, and she’s like, “Hi, I’m Carrie,” and I was like, “I’m a massive fan, man, like, growing up, naturally,” blah, blah, blah. She’s like, “Thank you.” She’d heard it all before. And I was like, “But I got to tell you, I’ll never forget. You’re the only person I’ve ever worked with who was like, ‘Pay me in antique beaver chairs.’ What’s that all about? And she was like, “The beaver chairs? I thought that’d be appropriate for this movie.” And I was like, “There’s a screenwriter. There’s a writer,” I says.
What Carrie Fisher’s Demands Meant for Her Legacy
Cementing Her Iconic Status
Carrie Fisher was a cultural icon. In addition to her starring role in one of the biggest sci-fi franchises of all time, she was also an accomplished screenwriter and author. She penned numerous books, including Postcards from the Edge, Wishful Drinking, The Princess Diarist, and Shockaholic. She also wrote the screenplay for the film version of Postcards from the Edge, a handful of episodes of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, and a few broadcasts of the Academy Awards.
She was also known to say pretty much whatever she wanted (often about her own life) with little concern for the consequences.
Additionally, Fisher was one of Hollywood’s go-to script doctors, punching up established scripts like Hook, Sister Act, Last Action Hero, The River Wild, The Wedding Singer, Scream 3, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. She was also known to say pretty much whatever she wanted (often about her own life) with little concern for the consequences. This trait endeared her to her fans, so Smith’s recollection of her beaver chair demands seems pretty on point for Fisher and cements her iconic status even further.
Our Take Carrie Fisher’s Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back Cameo
Fisher Always Played Against Type
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back had its fair share of celebrity cameos, including Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, George Carlin, Chris Rock, Alanis Morissette, Mark Hamill, and Will Ferrell. Carrie Fisher’s cameo was brief, but memorable, as she portrayed a nun, which was very much in contrast with her real-life lifestyle.
After Jay and Silent Bob are picked up by Fisher while hitchhiking, a misunderstanding about following “the Book” (Fisher was referring to the Holy Bible, whereas Jay was referring to the Unwritten Book of the Road), leads to Jay attempting to perform a certain act on Fisher, forcing her to kick them out. It’s a short but funny scene, and Fisher is always welcoming on screen. It’s just fortunate that Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back production was willing to give her the $3000 she needed to get those antique beaver chairs.
Source: GQ
