Leelee Sobieskis Surprising New Life Revealed

Dressed down in a hoodie, Zamberlan sneakers and a John Deere baseball cap, Leelee Sobieski looked like any other nondescript New Yorker as she ran errands in the Big Apple on Thursday.

Other pedestrians appeared oblivious to the fact they were passing a woman once acclaimed as Hollywood's hottest young actress, with starring roles in a string of hit films, including Eyes Wide Shut, Never Been Kissed and Here on Earth.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Sobieski, now 42, was seemingly everywhere, poised to become one of the defining stars of her generation, before she suddenly disappeared from the spotlight.

It's been a decade since Sobieski has appeared on screens, with the New York native now a married mother-of-two who lives in Red Hook, a hip industrial neighborhood of Brooklyn, where she works as an abstract painter. 

And, according to pals, she doesn't regret her decision to turn her back on Hollywood. 

'Leelee is happy with her new life in Brooklyn,' a friend told the Daily Mail. 'She grew up nearby and it's a joyful place for her, always has been, and she has been thrilled to raise her kids there.'

'She feels the city has so much to offer as far as culture and she likes to connect to people there,' the friend added. 

Sobieski once studied literature and fine art at Brown University, and the former Ivy Leaguer fits in far better with Big Apple bohemians than she does with Tinseltown insiders. 

'A lot of people don't know this about Leelee but she is an intellectual who attended college and has a very keen mind, she is curious about the arts, history, languages, is fluent in French, her mind is always hungry for information,' her friend told Daily Mail. 

'She finds like-minded people in New York City,' they further stated. 'She is not into celebrities and glitter, she likes things that are more down to earth.' 

Sobieski has been married to fashion designer Adam Kimmel since 2010, and the pair share two children together; daughter Lewi, aged 16, and son Martin, who is 11. 

The former actress, who often paints , fell in love with art at an early age. 

'She started painting at a young age because her father was a painter,' said the source, referring to Sobieski's acclaimed artist father, Jean Sobieski. 'She loved it more than acting.'

Born Liliane Rudabet Gloria Elsveta Sobieski, the former thespian was discovered by a talent scout while still in school. 

Her first big role came at the age of 15, when she starred in the 1998 disaster film Deep Impact alongside Robert Duvall, Tea Leoni, Elijah Wood and Morgan Freeman.

Soon after, Sobieski was tapped by iconic director Stanley Kubrick for a role in his final film, Eyes Wide Shut, opposite Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.

Prominent parts in era-defining teen films followed, including Never Been Kissed with Drew Barrymore, Here on Earth with Josh Hartnett, and Joy Ride with Paul Walker. 

Sobieski continued acting into the 2010s, popping up with cameo roles in shows such as The Good Wife, although her stint at Brown University and her passion for painting saw her screen career fall by the wayside. 

Her final big-screen role was in the 2016 comedy The Last Film Festival alongside Dennis Hopper.

She was last seen on the red carpet back in 2019. 

Despite her stellar career, Sobieski now refuses to dish on her Hollywood co-stars or her time in the spotlight, her friend claims. 

'She would rather not talk about her Hollywood past, that is a phase that is behind her,' they told Daily Mail. 'Who knows, maybe she will act again one day, but right now she likes where she is in life. She loves the boho lifestyle.'

'Fans push her to talk about her old Hollywood days and what Paul Walker and Tom Cruise were like, but she was a kid when she made films with those guys, that was another life for her, another 'vibration' as she would say,' the pal further declared.

But while Sobieski is now tight-lipped about her time in Tinseltown, she's previously spoken out about her experience. 

In a 2012 Vogue interview she explained: 'Ninety percent of acting roles involve so much sexual stuff with other people, and I don't want to do that.'

She doubled down in Another Magazine, saying intimate scenes made her feel 'really cheap' and admitting she would cry while filming romantic scenes because they felt too real and uncomfortable.  

'It's kind of a gross industry – well, they all are, when you examine them – but in acting you're selling your appearance so much,' she said. 

'I would cry every time I had to kiss somebody; I couldn't stomach it. I would think 'I like this person, so I don't think they should pay me to kiss them,' or 'I don't like this person, so I don't want to kiss them. Why is my kiss for sale?' It made me feel really cheap. 

'It might have been acting, but it was real for me as it was my first or third kiss, so it was confusing for me.' 

However, in a candid 2018 interview with Artnet News, she didn't regret her acting years, saying: 'I had a really happy childhood, and had a lot of fun, and did some work that I feel good about.'

Meanwhile, Sobieski's art career is now going strong. 

She made her solo gallery debut in 2018 with Channels at The Journal Gallery in Williamsburg, followed by Wormhole, her first UK show at Simon Lee Gallery in London. 

She's also exhibited at Almine Rech in Paris, with additional shows in Shanghai and Los Angeles.

Collectors have taken notice: her large-scale abstract paintings have reportedly sold in the five-figure range.

However, money isn't the main motivator for her career as an artist. Rather, it's the creative fulfilment that painting brings.

'She appreciates her time in Hollywood and would not trade it for anything because it has made her who she is, but she has always been a painter first. Painting calls to her, she feels a pull towards it, it feeds her creatively,' her friend dished. 

The Daily Mail has reached out for comment from Sobieski.