Waiting on a conference call with several other journalists, I could hear shuffling papers over the line but nobody was speaking. We were all waiting to interview Leelee Sobieski, star of the new film Joyride, and the recently released thriller The Glass House, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. But suddenly, the silence was broken by a sweet female voice saying, “Hello? This is Leelee,” and then the questioning began.

Q: In this film, you become the sole female on a joyride with two mischievous brothers played by Paul Walker and Steve Zahn. What was it like working with them, and was there any mischief on the set?

A: They are both really great actors, and I really enjoyed working with them. We [even] had battles with corn husks±—at 3 a.m. in a corn field, there is really nothing else to do. We’d laugh a lot, [but] I also tried to spend a lot of time away from them when not behind the camera, because everyday I was locked in a car with them for 13 hours straight.

Q: What was the most difficult scene in Joyride for you to film as an actress?

A: The film was actually made with three different endings. In one I had to shoot someone. That was scary because I am afraid of guns. It was also challenging to drive, because I don’t have a license. Often, the scenes that may be the most difficult are the ones in which you are the most normal.

Q: What was it like working with Stanley Kubrick on Eyes Wide Shut?

A: It was one of the most incredible experiences in my life. [Kubrick] was so kind, nice, and open—really open to ideas. He was not a control freak. When you are making a film you want to be in charge of everything right down to the creation of the poster (because there are lots of crappy posters out there). But he would ask, “What do you think? What do you feel?” even to a little 14 year-old girl, which at the time I was. Someone so confident in himself can seek other people’s advice. When you are making a film, the best directors are the ones who allow you to contribute ideas. Also, he was really nice with my mom. She was always right next door and he would always talk to her. People you work with are not often nice to parents, when you haven’t established yourself as an actor yet. I only worked with him for 2 months. Yet I think he was the first person whom I felt close to in my life to die. He loved his orange juice.

Q: Many people compare you to Helen Hunt. Is there an actress that you believe to be an inspiration to you?

A: I really admire Meryl Streep. I am a very big Bette Davis fan. And I like Anjelica Huston, who also directs.

Q: Is directing something you want to do in the future?