Billie Lourd Geeks Out Over Star Wars Memorabilia

Billie Lourd has appeared in three Star Wars films, but she still can’t get enough of that galaxy far, far away. The actor plays Lt. Kaydel Connix in the Star Wars sequels, though diehard fans probably recognize her as the daughter of Princess Leia herself, Carrie Fisher. With two generations already hooked by the saga, Lourd is keen to keep it in the family: that means “indoctrinating” her own children into the fandom and not-so-quietly hoping for another call from Lucasfilm.

“I would do anything to come back to any Star Wars franchise,” Lourd recently told Inverse. “I would just love to have my son and my daughter on set to see any Star Wars anything, because it’s the best way to grow up… It’s the coolest family tradition of all time.”

Between appearances in American Horror Story and rom-coms like Ticket to Paradise, Lourd has slowly but surely become a Star Wars “obsessive.” She’s taken multiple family trips to Disneyland to build lightsabers and spent hours scouring the web for rare Star Wars merch. “I go on eBay all the time,” she admits, expressing a real interest in collecting rare Princess Leia memorabilia. “I wish I had more Leia stuff. [My mom] should have kept more of it, [but] you don’t save the stuff you should.”

Fortunately there’s no shortage of Leia stuff, some signed by Fisher herself, on the site — and that’s what makes Lourd’s latest collaboration so satisfying. To commemorate Star Wars Day (also known as May the Fourth), Lourd has teamed up with eBay to curate a special collection of memorabilia. The auction kicks off April 30 and runs through May 4 — and in the spirit of fairness, bids begin at a frugal 54 cents.

In a conversation with Inverse, Lourd chats about her most prized mementos, choosing from a trove of Star Wars treasures, and turning her kids into Star Wars obsessives, too.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

You’ve described yourself as a Star Wars fanatic. How did you select the items that ended up in the collection with eBay?

It was A, one of the most fun things I’ve ever done, and B, really difficult, because I am obsessed with all things Star Wars and wish I could buy all of these things myself. I am honestly jealous of the people that will get them. I probably will end up bidding on some of the stuff because I need more all the time.

But it was so much fun: They sent over a big list of all of these incredible items, and I narrowed it down into two collections, a light side and a dark side. Admittedly, I’m a light side gal, but you can’t be mad at a signed Darth Vader helmet — so it was actually even hard to do the dark side stuff because it was all really, really cool.

I got to show it to my son, and he looked at a lot of the stuff with me because he’s also a Star Wars fanatic now. I’ve indoctrinated him hard. But it was an absolute labor of love … and it’s going to be hard for me not to buy everything.

I’m sure. I was looking at the items and thinking “Is my bank account sound?” The answer is no, but it’s so much fun looking through it all.

It’s cool that the bidding starts at 54 cents. I’m like, “Maybe something will stay at 54 cents?” It won’t, but if it did, that would be nice for me.

There are a couple of comics in the collection. Are you an avid reader?

I wasn’t a big comic gal, but my son loves comics, so now I’m really big into comics because I’m into everything he’s into. There’s a Leia comic book in the collection, and it’s signed by my mom, which I would just love to have. I avidly collect all things Leia now, so it would be amazing to have that… Although I’d be a little scared because my son would want to read it, and then he might rip it, and that’d just be a disaster.

Were you always really into collecting, or has your relationship with the memorabilia changed over the years?

It has definitely grown exponentially. I was into it when I was a kid, but it was, like with anything your mom does, you’re kind of like, “Oh, that’s my mom’s thing. She’s kind of annoying. I don’t need that.” Like, “Oh, lightsabers… whatever.” And now I’m obsessed with lightsabers.

I’ve definitely grown a lot from an angsty child being anti-mom to now an obsessive crazy person that has a section of my house that’s all Leia stuff and Star Wars — and I go on eBay all the time. That’s why this partnership was so amazing for me, because literally the week before, I was just on eBay for hours, looking for Leia shirts because that’s what I love to wear. They’re the only website you can go to find the good ones.

One of my most prized possessions is a Padmé Amidala shirt from 1999. I wear it way more than I should — there’s a hole in the armpit now — and I’m looking on eBay to see if I can buy another. But they’re between $600 and $1,000 now…

Yeah, do not give that away. Keep that armpit hole!

I know. I have to keep it pristine.

My son had a pair of Episode I sneakers that have Velcro straps on them, and he wears them every day, and I’m kind of like, “Oh, man, they’re ruined.” But he loves them, so it’s OK. It's worth letting him run in the mud with them.

Do you have a favorite piece of memorabilia that you own?

Honestly, my kid’s sneakers that I got on eBay. And then I have this amazing poster from A New Hope that says “Have you ever looked up and wondered what was going on?” It’s just a really simple, beautiful poster. And it’s the centerpiece of my mantle at home. It’s so epic and cool. Then I’ve got a Connix Funko pop. Got to represent myself, I guess.

If there were action figures of myself, I would buy a million.

Yeah, I have bought a few. I wish I had more Leia stuff. [My mom] should have kept more of it. But you don’t know in the moment. You don’t save stuff that you should.

Connix became a real fan favorite during the sequels. Will we ever see her again? Are you kind of gunning to go back?

I hope so. I would do anything to come back to any Star Wars franchise. I am absolutely available, and so gung ho to get back in that world. It’s so magical and special to me. Getting to play Connix was such a gift, and to get to do it again would just be insane. I would just love to have my son and my daughter on set to see any Star Wars anything, because it’s the best way to grow up… It’s the coolest family tradition of all time. And it’s not just me: It’s such a thing you can pass down from generation to generation.

The sequels are getting a second life now, especially with Daisy Ridley starring in a new movie. Who from the sequels would you most want to team up with again?

Honestly? Rose [Tico], baby. Kelly Marie Tran is one of my favorite people of all time, and I would love to team up with her. We should do a buddy comedy: Rose and Connix.

That has a nice ring to it. I think I remember fans shipping your characters too.

Oh, I hope so. I ship us, a hundred percent.

EBay’s “Your Side of the Fourth” collection is available from April 30 to May 4.