She was born in 1982 to Jean Sobieski, a French painter and writer, and Elizabeth, a writer as well. Jean is somewhere in the line to the throne of the Polish crown, but he does not use his title. I guess unlike other royalty, he's quite humble. She was discovered by an agent while eating at her school cafeteria in New York City. The agent had heard about a part in the then-upcoming Brad Pitt/Tom Cruise "Interview With a Vampire," and thought that Leelee would be perfect for the role. He got Leelee to audition, but she didn't get the part; it instead went to Kirsten Dunst. Her biggest role came with "Deep Impact," the film that costarred Tea Leoni, and made a huge dent in the box office. The publicity from that film brought her many other roles, including "Joan of Arc," but the film was lost in the midst of the seemingly large increase in the number of Joan of Arc films. Milla Jovovich starred in "The Messenger,' also based on Joan of Arc as well. The film did give Leelee an Emmy nomination.

She also nailed down a highly coveted role in "Eyes Wide Shut," the then incredibly anticipated Stanley Kubrick film, as well as roles in the Drew Barrymore vehicle "Never Been Kissed," "The Glass House," and the teen film "Here On Earth," costarring Josh Hartnett and Chris Klein. Off the screen, Leelee is quite a well-rounded young lady. She enjoys painting and ceramics, is a writer and reader of poetry. She also is an active girl, an expert in martial arts and an avid horse rider. She shares her home in New York with Picasso, a "bright yellow Indian Ringneck parakeet." And, to top it all off, she speaks fluent French.