Leelee Sobieski is a former film and television actress of American origin whose career lasted from 1995 to 2012. As a teen star, she won the hearts of film lovers with brilliant performances in films of the late 1990s such as Deep Impact, Eyes Wide Shut, and Never Been Kissed. The biggest role of her career came in 1999 when she played the title role in the telefilm Joan of Arc, for which she received nominations for an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.
The talented actress received a second Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal of the main character in the TV mini-series Uprising in 2001. She continued to work for film and television for several years after that, and in fact, she had everything that makes a Hollywood leading lady. However, her career ended in 2012 when she voluntarily gave up acting.
Leelee Sobieski – Bio, Age
Leelee Sobieski was born on June 10, 1983, as Liliane Rudabet Gloria Elsveta Sobieski. On her mother’s side, she is of Jewish and Dutch descent, on her father’s side of Polish and Swiss descent. Her parents were both active in show business at some point in their lives. Her French-born father Jean Sobieski is a former actor and painter, while her mother Elisabeth Sobieski (née Salomon) worked as a screenwriter and film producer.
She grew up together with a sibling, a younger brother named Robert. She was born and raised in New York City and attended the Trevor Day School in Manhattan. For her college education, she attended Brown University, where she studied literature and fine arts but did not graduate.
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Her Acting Career
At the age of 10, Sobieski caught the eye of a talent scout in her school cafeteria. The scout got her to audition for the role of Claudia in the horror movie Interview with the Vampire (1994), but the role was eventually awarded to Kirsten Dunst. She finally made her screen debut in the telefilm Reunion (1994), followed by another role in another telefilm A Horse for Danny (1995). She also had a leading role in a short-lived crime series Charlie Grace (1995).
Leelee Sobieski got her first feature role in the comedy Jungle 2 Jungle (1997), in which she played alongside Tim Allen and Martin Short. The following year she caught the attention of Hollywood casting directors with her performance in the sci-fi movie Deep Impact (1998). She also played the lead role in A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries (1998), for which she received critical acclaim. She starred alongside Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler in Never Been Kissed (1999) and also appeared alongside Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in Eyes Wide Shut (1999).
Sobieski’s portrayal of the title character in the televised film Joan of Arc (1999) earned her the highest praise in her career, including an Emmy Award nomination and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress. She played the female lead in the love story Here on Earth (2000), for which she was nominated for the Teen Choice Award for Choice Breakout Performance. In continuation of her sublime form, the talented actress played the lead role of Tosia Altman in the mini-series Insurrection (2001), for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe nomination for the second time.
In the 2000s and early 2010s, she continued to enjoy acting success. She acted in films such as Joy Ride (2001), The Glass House (2001), In a Dark Place (2006), In the Name of the King (2007), and Finding Bliss (2009). She was also in the main cast of the season-long police drama series NYC 22 (2012).
Leelee Sobieski Net Worth
Leelee Sobieski’s net assets are set at an enviable $6 million. This is no surprise, considering that she had quite an eventful career in her heyday as an actress. Unlike a few unfortunate Hollywood teenage stars we have met in the past, Sobieski has managed her assets efficiently and has made no major financial mistakes.
Husband
Leelee Sobieski is in a blissful marital union with menswear designer Adam Kimmel. The duo met in early 2009 and became engaged later that year. On August 31, 2010, they finally entered into the bond of marriage.
She has two children with her husband. Their first child was born in December 2009, a daughter named Louisanna Ray. In 2014 they welcomed their second child, a son named Martin.
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Where Is She Now?
Leelee Sobieski officially quit acting in 2012. In her opinion, she had to focus on her family, hence the decision to end her career as an actress. In an interview in 2016, she revealed that her decision was also influenced by the fact that the majority of acting roles involved sexual acts, which she did not find too favorable.
The former actress has since begun a career in the visual arts as a painter and sculptor and calls herself “Leelee Kimmel” under her married name. She had her first solo exhibition in 2018 at the Journal Gallery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. She also had her British exhibition debut at the Simon Lee Gallery in London.
