Kelly LeBrock: What the 'Weird Science' Dream Girl Has Been Up to Since Her '80s Heyday

In the '80s, few women were considered quite as glamorous as Kelly LeBrock. The actress, who’s best known for her role as Lisa, the dream woman created by two nerdy teen boys (played by Ilan Mitchell-Smith and Anthony Michael Hall) in the 1985 John Hughes comedy Weird Science, was instantly recognizable for her pout and voluminous mane, but she hasn’t been seen much in recent years — even as the '80s have made a major comeback.

Here’s a look at Kelly LeBrock’s career, and what she’s been up to since leaving the screen behind.

Kelly LeBrock’s early days: From model to movie star

LeBrock started modeling as a teenager, and soon enough she was one of the early supermodels, with countless magazine covers and fashion spreads to her name, including a contract with Christian Dior.

LeBrock’s looks caught the attention of the film industry, and in 1984, she made her debut in the rom-com The Woman in Red, playing the title character, a woman who catches the attention of a married man (played by Gene Wilder, who also wrote and directed the film) leading him to become entangled in increasingly absurd situations as he attempts to get close to her.

The Woman in Red positioned LeBrock as a Marilyn Monroe-like figure, and even featured a memorable scene in which her dress billowed up revealingly as she walked, à la Some Like It Hot. 

The next year, LeBrock was once again cast as an idealized woman, in the teen comedy Weird Science. While the movie’s plot was admittedly pretty superficial, LeBrock brought sass to a shallow role, and her character remains an icon of the decade.

MUST-READ: 10 Wacky Facts About the 1980’s John Hughes Movie ‘Weird Science’ 

“Everything happened very fast after Woman in Red and Weird Science — it was very scary,” LeBrock recalled in a 1989 interview, and she took a break from acting until the '90s. 

In 1986, she returned to her modeling roots, appearing in commercials and print ads for Pantene with the notorious tagline “Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful.” The much-quoted ad campaign became a pop culture sensation, positioning LeBrock as the ultimate haughty beauty.

Kelly LeBrock after Weird Science

LeBrock turned down a number of film offers that came her way after Weird Science, and her next role was in the 1990 action movie Hard to Kill, opposite her then-husband, tough-guy actor Steven Seagal. 

Hard to Kill was poorly reviewed but performed well at the box office. LeBrock’s next movies, including the erotic thriller Betrayal of the Dove (1993), the Western Hard Bounty (1995), Tracks of a Killer (1996) and the satire Wrongfully Accused (1998), didn’t make nearly as much of a splash as her earlier work, and were largely forgotten.

In the '00s, LeBrock had a few more roles, in low-profile films like The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (2001), Gamers (2006), Hidden Chambers (2007) and 10 Days in a Mad House (2015), and she entered the made-for-TV Christmas movie world when she played the Queen in the 2015 Starz movie A Prince for Christmas.

What Kelly LeBrock is up to today

Most recently, LeBrock appeared in the low-budget 2021 film Tomorrow’s Today, but she’s primarily retired from acting, and has fewer than 20 credits to her name over the course of a 40-year career. 

In a 2021 FOX interview, LeBrock admitted, “Hollywood wasn’t a place where I wanted to raise my children. My divorce was very much in the press. And I’m just not a Hollywood girl. Never have been. I never really liked the attention. I wanted to have dirt in my nails and be in the outdoors.”

Now 64, LeBrock is happy to keep out of the public eye, and while she’ll forever be considered an '80s sex symbol, today she lives a low-key life far outside of Hollywood. As she put it, “I don’t even really have an agent. I can’t be bothered to be honest with you. I just want to ride my horse, eat good food and drink lovely wine. I want to enjoy the rest of my days. I’m a grandmother to three amazing grandchildren.”

LeBrock told The New York Post, “I was just never impressed with being famous or fabulous. I got up every day and did my job, I didn’t think about being a pretty lady or any of that nonsense. I have never been impressed with myself. I think I’m pretty normal.” Clearly, she never let her dream-girl roles go to her head, and we’re glad that she’s found contentment outside of the public eye.

Read on for more '80s actresses!

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