This dark-haired attractive actor began her career in juvenile parts and made the transition to more adult roles. The daughter of 1960s folk singer Donovan, Skye was raised by her mother in California and Connecticut. She began as a child model. Director Tim Hunter saw her in a fashion layout and cast her as Clarissa in "River's Edge" (1986). Skye went on to appear as a female friend of River Phoenix's title character in "A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon" (1988) and gave a winning performance as high school heartthrob Diane Court in Cameron Crowe's fine, bittersweet love story, "Say Anything" (1989). She shone as the surly older daughter in Allison Anders' "Gas Food Lodging" (1992), which also co-starred her brother, actor-producer Donovan Leitch. Skye appeared as a coven member in Anders' "Strange Brew" segment of "Four Rooms" (1995) and made her directorial debut with the short comedy "Bed, Bath and Beyond" (1996), co-directed with Andrew Durham and Sofia Coppola. Skye portrayed an aspiring actress in the romantic comedy "Dream for an Insomniac" (filmed in 1996; released in 1998).In 1992, Skye married musician-actor Adam Horovitz, the son of playwright-director Israel Horovitz. The pair appeared together in small roles in "CITYSCRAPES los angeles" (lensed in 1994; shown at festivals in 1996) but have since divorced. Meanwhile, Skye made appearances on the small screen. She made her television debut as the Emperor's younger sister in the miniseries "Napoleon and Josephine: A Love Story" (ABC, 1987), was a regular on the short-lived medieval adventure "Covington Cross" (ABC, 1992) and co-starred in the 1994 Showtime remake of the 50s drama "Girls in Prison.” After portraying a newlywed forced to deal with a possessive and controlling mother-in-law in the TV movie “The Perfect Mother” (CBS, 1997), Skye went back to film, playing the ex-girlfriend of a young man (Rick Stear) whose financial problems and descent into alcoholism ended their relationship in the independently released “Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God…Be Back by Five” (1998).
Skye made a small appearance in the little-seen and critically panned “But I’m a Cheerleader” (2000), a teen black comedy about a seemingly perfect high school student (Natasha Lyonne) who is sent to a rehabilitation camp because her parents think she’s a lesbian. She then starred in an episode of the revamped “Twilight Zone” (UPN, 2002-2003) as a woman whose brush with death from a speeding car unravels her once happy life. After playing Blythe Danner’s daughter in the made-for-TV movie “Back When We Were Grownups” (CBS, 2004), Skye went to bat in “Fever Pitch” (2005) as the friend of a corporate executive (Drew Barrymore) whose developing relationship with a rabid Boston Red Sox fan (Jimmy Fallon) begins to deteriorate when the season begins.
Profession(s):
Actor, model
Sometimes Credited As:
Ione Skye Leitch
Family
brother:Donovan Leitch (older, born on August 16, 1968)
father:Donovan Leitch (divorced from Skye's mother)
half-sister:Astrella Leitch (born c. 1972; formed band Echolalia with sister Oriole)
half-sister:Oriole Leitch (born c. 1973; lives with singer Shaun Ryder; has daughter Coco Ryder, born c. 1994)
husband:Adam Horovitz (member of the rap/rock group, Beastie Boys; married in July 1992; son of playwright Israel Horovitz; born on October 31, 1966; separated; Skye filed for divorce on March 29, 1999; divorced in 2000)
mother:Enid Karl
step-brother:Julian Lawrence (father, Brian Jones; mother, Linda Lawrence)
Companion(s)
David Netto
, Companion
, ```..together from c. 2000
Jenny Shimizu
, Companion
, ```..reportedly dated in 1999
2005 Cast in the Farrelly brother's comedy "Fever Pitch" as one of Drew Barrymore's best friends
1998 Starred in the independent film "Dream for an Insomniac" (filmed in 1996)
1998 Starred in the independent comedy drama "Went to Coney Island on a Misson From God... Be Back by Five"
1996 Directorial debut, co-directed comedy short "Bed, Bath and Beyond" with Sofia Coppola and Andrew Durham
1995 Cast in Allison Anders' segment of "Four Rooms" about a coven of witches
1992 Made TV series debut in "Covington Cross"
1992 Appeared with brother, actor Donovan Leitch, in "Gas Food Lodging"
1992 Appeared in "Guncrazy" starring Drew Barrymore
1990 Had significant roles in the drama "Mindwalk," starring Sam Waterston and the short period piece "Carmilla" with Meg Tilly
1989 Breakthrough role as Diane Court in Cameron Crowe's bittersweet romantic comedy "Say Anything" with John Cusack
1988 Cast as spoiled rich girl Denise in "A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon" starring River Phoenix
1987 Made TV-movie debut in "Napoleon and Josephine: A Love Story"
1986 Screen acting debut in Tim Hunter's "River's Edge"
Raised in San Francisco, Connecticut and Los Angeles
Began modeling at age two