Did any other guy out there have kind of a crush on Leelee Sobieski back in the day? Admittedly she looks like a much younger Helen Hunt, or at least she used to, as getting older definitely cemented her own look and gave her a slightly different look that made it easier to differentiate the two. But throughout her movie and TV career she was actually rather popular for a while, and yes, when she became a legal adult it became okay to say that she was pretty hot, as opposed to when she was still a kid and you could call her cute but anything else got creepy very quickly. Let’s face it though, she’s always had a look that has made her someone special to a lot of people since she’s conveyed a great deal of charisma when on screen and she’s managed to be one of those women that you can’t always name but you remember for certain roles that were especially popular and were a part of your younger years that you never quite forgot.
At this point in her life Leelee has been retired for about seven years if not a little bit over, and she made that choice on her own since she wanted to focus on her family. There were also feelings it seems that she didn’t want to go down the road towards anything sexual in nature that might have compromised her own personal beliefs. Some folks might call her a prude for this but in all honesty there is a lot of sexuality in some movies these days and while a lot of people enjoy it there are plenty of stars that just don’t want to go that route. Some of those that do manage to shoot a nude scene either tend to regret it or push past it and say that they might not do it again, or that they had to bring in a body double in order to maintain their own dignity. Leelee just didn’t want to get into it at all, and if you remember she did dress provocatively a few times and was in movies where her sexuality came into play, but she still didn’t want to go quite that far most times. It’s a personal choice after all and while it can affect an actor’s career, it’s still something that a lot of people would agree needs to be respected. Caitlin McBride from the Independent has more to say on this matter.
When you go over the list of movies that she starred in you might only recognize a handful of them that actually made it into the public eye. A lot of her movies didn’t get a whole lot of hype while those that did tended to get noticed and then ignored after a while. This was kind of frustrating since she was a good actress and had a load of potential that could have been used in so many ways, but she always seemed to be relegated to a supporting role or something that was important to the movie but was still kind of hard to notice since the movie in question was unknown. Movies like Deep Impact, The Glass House, Joy Ride, Never Been Kissed, and even Eyes Wide Shut seem as though they would have gotten her the most attention, but she was also in a version of Joan of Arc, The Wicker Man, and was a part of In the Name of the King, movies that didn’t get a lot of attention for various reasons but still had her as an important aspect. In a big way it almost feels as though she was mishandled throughout the years, especially when she stopped being a child actor and became an adult. At that point it was almost as though she became an afterthought, someone that still had some value but was basically a placeholder or someone to call when no one else could be reached. That’s kind of insulting to think about, but it was work so it’s hard to say that she was being ill-treated. Ashley Spencer of Vice has more to say on this matter.
Unlike a lot of actors that might bow out for various reasons though she did pick a good one to use and it makes absolute sense to a lot of people since focusing on your family might be seen as a dodge by some people, but it’s one of the best reasons to bow out of anything if your heart is really in it. In a way it does seem as though she’d grown disenchanted with the movies, which could have hastened her departure, but one thing you can’t fault anyone for is wanting to be a better parent to their kids and be more present in their lives. Thinking about her now she is kind of missed, but hopefully she’s happy with the choice she’s made and doesn’t have any regrets about leaving.
Follow Us
