Short answers, pulled from the story.
Carrie Fisher portrays Princess Leia in both the original trilogy and the sequel trilogy. Fisher was only 19 years old when she was cast in the role, beating out actresses including Meryl Streep, Jessica Lange, and Anjelica Huston.
Princess Leia is the daughter of Darth Vader, who was born Anakin Skywalker, and the twin sister of Luke Skywalker. Their mother, Senator Padmé Amidala of Naboo, dies shortly after giving birth to them on Polis Massa, and Leia is then adopted by Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan and his wife, Queen Breha.
Carrie Fisher died on the 27th of December 2016. She had completed filming her scenes for The Last Jedi shortly before her death.
In Return of the Jedi, Jabba the Hutt keeps Leia captive and forces her into a brass bikini that fans nicknamed the Metal Bikini or Gold Bikini. The costume was designed by Aggie Guerard Rodgers and Nilo Rodis-Jamero and was inspired by the work of fantasy illustrator Frank Frazetta; an original rubber version later sold for $96,000 at auction in 2015 and another for $175,000 in 2024.
George Lucas said in a 2002 interview that he was aiming for a Southwestern Pancho Villa woman revolutionary look drawn from turn-of-the-century Mexico. A Denver Art Museum exhibit later credited the revolutionary Clara de la Rocha as an inspiration, and noted an added influence from a hairstyle worn by indigenous Hopi women.
Critics and Fisher herself have described Leia as a defiant, assertive character who does not need to be rescued by a man. Mark Hamill called her performance "effortlessly feminist," and Fisher said the identity of Leia "eclipses" all the other identities she has had.