NEED TO KNOW<\/h3>\n\n- \n\n
Nia Vardalos recalls Debbie Reynolds’ humor and candor while working together on the 2004 film Connie and Carla<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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Reynolds, mother of Carrie Fisher, introduced herself on set as \u201cPrincess Leia’s mom\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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Vardalos tells PEOPLE that Reynolds was “down to earth”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Debbie Reynolds <\/a>always knew how to make an entrance.<\/p>\nAt the opening of Celebrity Autobiography on May 18, PEOPLE caught up with Nia Vardalos, who found the excerpts about Reynolds’ life in the Broadway show particularly amusing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI cannot believe the candor of Debbie Reynolds. It is awesome,” Vardalos, 63, says of the show, in which celebrities act out other celebrities’ unintentionally hilarious autobiographies live on stage.<\/p>\n
Vardalos then reflected on working with the late actress in 2004’s Connie and Carla, which also featured Toni Collette and David Duchovny.<\/p>\n
“I know her. She was in my movie, Connie and Carla. She came to set and said, \u2018Yes, hello, it’s me, Princess Leia’s mom.’ \u201d<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/izBKtgFjTB5WScNFbqUJcA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/people_218\/8b17c00d603159bf99bbcd8ef89e2910\"\/)
<\/span><\/div>\nThe cast of ‘Connie and Carla’
Credit: Moviestore\/Shutterstock<\/i><\/p>\n
Reynolds is the mother of the late Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia in the Star Wars franchise, beginning with the 1977 film.<\/p>\n
The creator of the My Big Fat Greek Wedding franchise<\/a> describes Reynolds as \u201cthe most down-to-earth, hilarious, lovely woman.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cThe stuff she wrote, I was like, good. There’s no shame in it,\u201d Vardalos shares.<\/p>\n
Reynolds rose to stardom in the ’50s with starring roles in films like\u00a0Singin’ in the Rain\u00a0(1952),\u00a0Bundle of Joy\u00a0(1956) and\u00a0Tammy and the Bachelor\u00a0(1957). Then, in 1956, she and her then-husband, Eddie Fisher<\/a>, welcomed their first baby together, daughter\u00a0Carrie.<\/p>\nFollowing her mother’s footsteps, Carrie landed her first movie gig as a teenager in 1975’s\u00a0Shampoo, before becoming a household name just years later for her performance in Star Wars. The actress welcomed her only child, daughter Billie Lourd, in 1992.<\/p>\n
Tragically, Carrie died on Dec. 27, 2016, at the age of 60. Just one day later, her mother died from a stroke at age 84.<\/p>\n
Nia Vardalos recalls Debbie Reynolds’ humor and candor while working together on the 2004 film Connie and Carla<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- \n\n
Reynolds, mother of Carrie Fisher, introduced herself on set as \u201cPrincess Leia’s mom\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
- \n
\nVardalos tells PEOPLE that Reynolds was “down to earth”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Debbie Reynolds <\/a>always knew how to make an entrance.<\/p>\n
At the opening of Celebrity Autobiography on May 18, PEOPLE caught up with Nia Vardalos, who found the excerpts about Reynolds’ life in the Broadway show particularly amusing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI cannot believe the candor of Debbie Reynolds. It is awesome,” Vardalos, 63, says of the show, in which celebrities act out other celebrities’ unintentionally hilarious autobiographies live on stage.<\/p>\n
Vardalos then reflected on working with the late actress in 2004’s Connie and Carla, which also featured Toni Collette and David Duchovny.<\/p>\n
“I know her. She was in my movie, Connie and Carla. She came to set and said, \u2018Yes, hello, it’s me, Princess Leia’s mom.’ \u201d<\/p>\n
The cast of ‘Connie and Carla’
Credit: Moviestore\/Shutterstock<\/i><\/p>\nReynolds is the mother of the late Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia in the Star Wars franchise, beginning with the 1977 film.<\/p>\n
The creator of the My Big Fat Greek Wedding franchise<\/a> describes Reynolds as \u201cthe most down-to-earth, hilarious, lovely woman.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe stuff she wrote, I was like, good. There’s no shame in it,\u201d Vardalos shares.<\/p>\n
Reynolds rose to stardom in the ’50s with starring roles in films like\u00a0Singin’ in the Rain\u00a0(1952),\u00a0Bundle of Joy\u00a0(1956) and\u00a0Tammy and the Bachelor\u00a0(1957). Then, in 1956, she and her then-husband, Eddie Fisher<\/a>, welcomed their first baby together, daughter\u00a0Carrie.<\/p>\n
Following her mother’s footsteps, Carrie landed her first movie gig as a teenager in 1975’s\u00a0Shampoo, before becoming a household name just years later for her performance in Star Wars. The actress welcomed her only child, daughter Billie Lourd, in 1992.<\/p>\n
Tragically, Carrie died on Dec. 27, 2016, at the age of 60. Just one day later, her mother died from a stroke at age 84.<\/p>\n
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