While that first Star Wars film had captivating battles with blasters and lightsabers, the one scene where Carrie Fisher and Peter Cushing interacted together featured a different kind of fight: verbal sparring. As soon as she sees Tarkin, Leia unloads on the guy, saying, “I should have expected to find you holding Vader’s leash. I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board.”
Before this Star Wars scene ends with the destruction of Alderaan, we get to learn more about Peter Cushing’s character thanks to the actor’s chilly (and chilling) line deliveries. He’s the ice to Leia’s fire, and he decides to blow up an entire planet with a truly dispassionate creepiness. Interestingly, though, it was very difficult for Carrie Fisher to find the authentic anger she needed to make this scene work.