How ‘Laverne & Shirley’s Cindy Williams Nearly Became Princess Leia

It feels impossible to imagine Princess Leia as anyone other than Carrie Fisher. From the moment Star Wars arrived in theaters in 1977, Fisher’s performance helped define the character. But, like most iconic roles, Leia was not written with a single actress in mind, and before Fisher became forever linked to the part, several familiar faces auditioned — one of whom was Cindy Williams, who was already well known to film audiences thanks to her work with director George Lucas in American Graffiti.