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Born Liliane Rudabet Gloria Elsveta
Sobieski on June 10, 1982, Leelee Sobieski has shot to ingenue stardom in
the time it takes to say "Helen Hunt's spitting image." The young actress,
who does indeed bear a striking resemblance to Hunt, first came to the
attention of art house audiences with her role in A Soldier's Daughter
Never Cries (1998).
Thanks to her participation in two high-profile projects, Deep Impact and
Eyes Wide Shut, Sobieski has garnered both widespread recognition and the
distinction of being one of the most promising actresses of her
generation.
Born and bred in New York City, Sobieski, the eldest of two children, was
raised by her father, a French painter, and her mother, a freelance
writer. She was "discovered," rather unexpectedly, in her school's
cafeteria by Woody Allen's casting director.
With the encouragement of her parents, Sobieski began auditioning, trying
out at one point for the part that went to Kirsten Dunst in Interview with
the Vampire. She landed her first screen role in the 1997 Tim Allen comedy
Jungle to Jungle, and then was cast as Channe in Merchant/Ivory's A
Soldier's Daughter Never Cries (1998).
Sobieski drew raves for the depth and intelligence of her performance and
was further rewarded with another leading role, that of Joan of Arc in the
1999 TV miniseries Joan of Arc. Sobieski then turned her back on typical
ingenue roles with her portrayal of a geek queen in the Drew Barrymore
comedy Never Been Kissed. The film's producers had originally wanted
Sobieski for the role of the most popular girl in school, but the actress
had insisted on that of her antithesis, a choice that reflected her desire
to take on more unconventional roles. This choice was made further
apparent with her casting in Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut, in which
Sobieski had a brief but memorable appearance as the silent, flirtatious
daughter of a costume shop owner.
In 2000 Sobieski returned to more conventional fare with Here on Earth, a
romantic drama in which she starred as a young woman coping with first
love and terminal illness. That same year, she could be seen in the teen
thriller Squelch and My First Mister, a romantic comedy that featured her
as a recent high school grad who develops a crush on her much older boss
(Albert Brooks). |
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"I think when you're doing a
lead role, there is so much more pressure. If you fail, not only do
you fail, but everybody else fails, too. As opposed to when it's a
supporting role and it's only you that sucked." |
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Night Train (2009)
Walk All Over Me (2007) .... Alberta
88 Minutes (2007) .... Lauren Douglas
In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2007) .... Muriella
... aka Schwerter des Königs - Dungeon Siege (Germany)
The Elder Son (2006) .... Lolita
Coven (2006) (voice) .... Narrator
The Wicker Man (2006) .... Sister Honey
In a Dark Place (2006) .... Anna Veigh
Heavens Fall (2006) .... Victoria Price
Lying (2006) .... Sarah
Hercules (2005/I) (TV) .... Deianeira
"Liaisons dangereuses, Les" (2003) (mini) TV Series .... Cécile de
Volanges
... aka Dangerous Liaisons (USA)
"Frasier" .... Sheila (1 episode, 2002)
- Enemy at the Gate (2002) TV Episode (voice) .... Sheila
Max (2002/I) .... Liselore von Peltz
Idole, L' (2002) .... Sarah Silver
... aka Idol, Das (Germany)
... aka The Idol (International: English title)
Uprising (2001) (TV) .... Tosia Altman
The Glass House (2001) .... Ruby Baker
Joy Ride (2001/I) .... Venna
... aka Road Kill (Australia) (New Zealand: English title) (UK)
My First Mister (2001) .... Jennifer
... aka Mein erster richtiger Freund (Germany: TV title)
Here on Earth (2000) .... Samantha 'Sam' Cavanaugh
Eyes Wide Shut (1999) .... Milich's Daughter
... aka EWS (USA: promotional abbreviation)
Joan of Arc (1999) (TV) .... Joan D'Arc
... aka Jeanne d'Arc (Canada: French title)
Never Been Kissed (1999) .... Aldys Martin
A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries (1998) .... Charlotte Anne 'Channe'
Willis, Age 14
... aka Fille d'un soldat ne pleure jamais, La (France)
Deep Impact (1998) .... Sarah Hotchner
"F/X: The Series" .... Tanya (1 episode, 1998)
- Evil Eye (1998) TV Episode .... Tanya
Jungle 2 Jungle (1997) (as LeeLee Sobieski) .... Karen Kempster
... aka Un Indien ŕ New York (France)
"NewsRadio" .... Girl (1 episode, 1996)
... aka The Station
- Arcade (1996) TV Episode .... Girl
"The Home Court" .... Leslie (1 episode, 1996)
- Love, Death & Soda (1996) TV Episode .... Leslie
"Grace Under Fire" .... Lucy (1 episode, 1996)
- Positively Hateful (1996) TV Episode .... Lucy
"Charlie Grace" (1995) TV Series .... Jenny Grace (unknown episodes)
A Horse for Danny (1995) (TV) .... Danielle 'Danny' Fortuna
Reunion (1994) (TV) .... Anna Yates |
