Saskatoon

Actress Carrie Fisher a fan of Saskatoon glass artists

Before she left the Bridge City, Fisher was taken to the Saskatchewan Craft Council location on Broadway Avenue, where she saw Robert and Elisabeth Miller’s glass artwork.

Star Wars actress bought several pieces following Saskatoon Comic and Entertainment Expo

Actress Carrie Fisher purchased four glass pieces from Saskatoon artists Robert and Elisabeth Miller. (Creative Sask)

It turns out Carrie Fisher didn't leave Saskatoon empty-handed after last month's fan expo.

The actress, well-known for her portrayal of Princess Leia in Star Wars, appeared at the Saskatoon Comic and Entertainment Expo on Saturday, Sept. 17.

Before she left the Bridge City, Fisher was taken to the Saskatchewan Craft Council location on Broadway Avenue where she saw Robert and Elisabeth Miller's glass artwork.

"She saw a piece of mine that was in there for a recent show that the glass guild did in the gallery and was quite interested in it," Robert Miller explained.

That's when Miller's cellphone got a call from a Hollywood, Calif. number.

"So I kind of thought, I really don't need to answer that."

After listening to the message that had been left, Miller gathered together some pieces and met with Fisher in her hotel room.

"The piece I took to her she immediately purchased and when we started going through other pictures of our work, she was quite interested in seeing more."

Miller went home and got to work with his wife and daughter, assembling a boxful of pieces Fisher said she was interested in seeing.

"I took those back to her hotel room, met with her again. By the time she was finished, she had purchased four in total that evening. And she commissioned a fifth one."

The commissioned piece poses a challenge for the Millers, as Robert explained it would be a large piece that he would need to transport to California.

As for the first pieces Fisher bought, Miller says one of them has already moved on. Fisher gave it to Joni Mitchell as a gift. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Courtney Markewich joined CBC News in 2016 after working in radio for five years. She is based in Saskatoon. Born and raised in Saskatchewan, Markewich is passionate about sharing stories of the province's people. Her focus now is bringing these stories to social media on CBC Saskatchewan and CBC Saskatoon's platforms. Her work on The Pit was recognized by the RTDNA Canada National Awards for Excellence in Social Media in 2020. You can contact her at courtney.markewich@cbc.ca.

With files from CBC's Saskatoon Morning