Leelee Sobieski — Biography

Leelee Kimmel, born on June 10, 1983, is an American artist and former actress who gained recognition in her teenage years, largely due to her role in the film Deep Impact. She earned an Emmy nomination for her performance in the 1999 television movie Joan of Arc and received two Golden Globe nominations for her work in both Joan of Arc and the TV movie Uprising, which included a scene where she appeared nude. Born Liliane Rudabet Gloria Elsveta Sobieski in New York City, she is the daughter of American novelist and screenwriter Elizabeth (née Salomon), who also serves as her manager, and Jean Sobieski, a French painter and former actor. Her first name, "Liliane," honors her paternal grandmother, while one of her middle names, "Elsveta," is derived from the Polish version of Elizabeth, "Elżbieta." Kimmel's maternal grandfather, Captain Robert Salomon of the United States Navy, was of Jewish heritage, and she has described her upbringing in a "pan-religious" household, expressing pride in her Jewish background. Fluent in French, she learned the language from her father, who resides in France. Kimmel attended Trevor Day School. She has been married to fashion designer Adam Kimmel since 2010 and was previously married to actor Matthew Davis in 2008. Her younger brother, Robert, is a Princeton University alumnus who works as a professional magician, sometimes enlisting Kimmel as his assistant in various illusions, including the classic "sawed in half" trick. She has also participated in illusions with magician Hans Klok, notably being sawed in half and decapitated in his rarely seen Block Beheading performance. In 2012, she made the decision to retire from acting, redirecting her focus towards her passion for abstract art.