Leelee Sobieski

Leelee Sobieski got her start as a child actor, a term that generally precedes a discussion involving mug shots, an unfortunate heroin addiction and squandered talent. Sobieski has managed to steer clear of the pitfalls that turn precocious kiddies into Hollywood stereotypes. She nabbed her first TV role as an 11-year old and has since filled in her resume with roles in films such as Eyes Wide Shut, Joy Ride and The Wicker Man. We caught up with Sobieski to talk about her upcoming sword and sorcery flick In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale. The movie, a loose adaptation of Gas Powered Games’ hit PC title Dungeon Siege, drops January 11. Read up on what Leelee had to say about strapping up some armor, director Uwe Boll and her own spicy little sadistic side.

By John Gaudiosi

Complex: In the Name of the King is based on a videogame, what games do you like?
Leelee Sobieski: I’m not a huge gamer, but I love Tetris. I play bowling and tennis on Wii with my brother. He’s in college and he has this small dorm room with a huge projector and screen that comes down from the ceiling to play videogames on. You can’t even walk into the room when it’s up.

Complex: What do you think of the Wii’s motion-sensor controls?
Leelee Sobieski: I think that the physical aspect of Wii is the future of gaming. The games industry is the most exciting industry out there and they’re always innovating. Games have endless possibilities. The stories and plots in games are only going to get better. The Internet really didn’t take off for years until pornography was introduced and I think we’re just seeing the early stages of what games can become.

Complex: Speaking of porn, did you know guys spend more time online reading about videogames and getting cheat codes than they do getting porn?
Leelee Sobieski: No, I didn’t. But that shows you how popular games are.

Complex: What would your favorite game of all time be?
Leelee Sobieski: GoldenEye.

Complex: A Nintendo 64 first-person shooter­–a true connoisseur. What did you like about the game?
Leelee Sobieski: I liked torturing Natalya in that game. My dad and little brother would always play that game and it was something we could do together and bond over.

Complex: Nothing brings the family unit together better than torture. Did you approach your role for this movie any differently because it was based on a game?
Leelee Sobieski: I didn’t because this film is pretty loosely based on the game. I didn’t go back and play or even look at the game. I would play a game if the project were going to follow the plot closely, especially if I was playing a character that game fans know. I also think that if you’re adapting a game straight to film, those characters are going to be a little more over-the-top than what we did in this film.