Katie McBroom, a former employee of The Palm Beach Post, played Princess Leia at Walt Disney World in 2006. She now resides in New York City where she runs her blog, Martinis and Mascara.
I quickly channeled my inner Carrie Fisher and "you're my only hope"ed it to the best of my ability. Miraculously, I got the part. In subsequent months, I studied not only the character, but also the woman who iconized the role. And I grew to love her.
I wish I could tell you that I said something really profound when I saw her. I had imagined telling her that if it weren't for her iconic portrayal of Leia (and her younger self's likeness to my younger self), I wouldn't have had one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Instead, I'm pretty sure what my star-struck self blurted out was, "Oh Carrie, I love you!"
That woman truly owned who she was and never apologized for it. And although it's been years since I got paid to imitate her, I find myself continuing to channel my inner Carrie for that reason. I hope that one day I can master the role of unabashedly owning who I am, "flaws" and all, as she did.
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