Movie stills courtesy of Wanstrom & Assoc.

What was it like putting on all of that armor for your battle scene?

Leelee Sobieski: This was my second time wearing armor. When I filmed Joan of Arc I had to wear 60 pounds of metal. This armor was a lot lighter, and I even got the chance to help in its design. I wanted it to fall a certain way. It’s just as romantic for me to dress up in armor as it is to dress up in a period dress. As a woman, you don’t get many opportunities to put on armor.

Did this film’s action require any training on horses or with weapons?

Leelee Sobieski: I spent a lot of summers in the south of France horseback riding. I’ve done that on and off since I was a kid. I wish I could have done more fighting in this movie. I would have loved to have kicked more butt in this film.

What was it like working with the cast of this film? It’s a pretty big ensemble.

Leelee Sobieski: I think the cast is the coolest thing about the movie. We had Burt [Reynolds], Hellboy [Ron Perlman], the Transporter [Jason Statham], Shaggy [Matthew Lillard]…that’s a pretty eclectic mix. Then we had Ray Liotta, who’s his own identity. Then there’s the T3 girl [Kristanna Loken] and the chick the devil picked with Claire [Forlani]. And then you have me. This cat is a strange conglomerate of characters in real life.

Uwe Boll stepped into a boxing ring to fight some of his critics while filming Postal. What was it like working with him?

Leelee Sobieski: He’s quite a charmer and everyone who’s worked with him thinks he’s a great guy. Kristanna has done two movies with him. I love that he’s a huge animal rights activist. He had the dogs he rescued from Romania on the set. He’s passionate about his projects and he fights to get them done. I respect that. I understand some of the critics, but the world is not so black-and-white. Uwe’s very smart because he’s so particular. He’s doing his own thing. He made a $70 million independent movie by himself—that’s insane.

Boll is known for adapting a lot of games into films. There are over 30 movies in development all based on videogames in Hollywood. What are your thoughts on this trend?

Leelee Sobieski: I think it’s interesting when two different mediums inform each other. What excites me most about playing games is that you can change the plot as you progress. You’re choosing what the player does. As an actor, I look at things when playing a role in different ways than I would as a person. I see how they’re going to react to a situation. That aspect of games is interesting because you’re changing these characters’ lives. I also realize that when you combine mediums like games and film, it can hurt. There are things that are gained and other things are lost in translation. I think a lot of movies have adapted things from games, especially camera angles and camera movement.

When you look at the games that have been hits on the big screen—Tomb Raider, Resident Evil and Silent Hill—they all have strong female protagonists. What do you think of that?

Leelee Sobieski: I think it shows a lot of men want to be women (laughs). But seriously, I think it’s great. You can be a strong woman and also a feminine woman. I know I consider myself both a strong woman and a feminine woman, so I’m all for these types of characters.

Are you interested in finding more roles that bring video game characters to the big screen?

Leelee Sobieski: Definitely. I think I’d be really good at that. The games that excite me are the ones where you can change the course of someone’s life. I don’t know if you remember that Peter Gabriel PC game, Eve, but it was a type of intellectual game. I love the action games, but something like that game would turn me on.

What’s it been like for you living in front of camera for your entire life?

Leelee Sobieski: I’ve taken breaks and gone to school and gone away in between, so I’ve been able to have a real life. It’s been a fairly positive and fun experience. There have been times where it was enriching and times where it was frustrating. But the older I get the more I appreciate my job. Home // CELEBRITIES // COMPLEX WOMEN // Leelee Sobieski