Sadie Dune Reinhart was born into a family that valued artistic integrity above almost everything else. Paul, a journalist, was politically focused, while Sadie's mother, Katherine, was a painter. (Paul Reinhart would remain outspoken in his criticism of U.S. foreign policy, from its policies in Central America in the 1980s, including the Iran-Contra affair, to the First Gulf War in 1991, the Kosovo War in 1999, and the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and 2003 invasion of Iraq, until his retirement in 2010.)
The first of the couple's two children together, Sadie was an introverted child; her younger sister by two years, Alexis, was the one with too many extra-curricular activities to count. In an effort to help her out of her shell, Katherine signed both of the two girls up for drama club. The two Reinhart women took to the field in very different ways: Alexis was more outspoken like her father, loving the limelight and dramatic scenes. Sadie was more like her mother, and spent most of her teenage years, she confesses, "...writing really, really bad poetry, and taking a lot of cliche black and white photos." She didn't fall in love with acting like her sister, and spent her youth valuing dance as her preferred way of creative expression.
The Reinhart sisters moved to Los Angeles when Sadie was 20; her sister, 18. Alexis was immediately successful and caught up in a world of modelling and small time television roles. Sadie's introverted personality was less inclined for immediate success, and heavily considered following journalism like her father, and would admit that her primary motivation for moving to Los Angeles in the first place was to look after her sister.
Sadie Reinhart's first big break came when she was cast in the role of Lux Lisbon in The Virgin Suicides. A true surprise and virtual unknown, her first burst of actorly success was clouded by the death of her sister in 2001. While the ME ruled a heart attack, it is heavily understood that the primary cause of Alexis Jane Reinhart's death was drug overdose. Rumors of suicide would follow the young, deceased actress. Sadie Dune, and the whole Reinhart family, have never spoken publicly about the death of the young actress.
Dishearted with acting and wanting to be there for her family, Sadie vanished from the public sphere until 2006, when she reemerged with Lost in Translation and a tattoo on the inside of her left wrist that reads "all love, A." (It is known that Sadie does not cover the tattoo unless specific roles require her to, such as period pieces or dramas where the tattoo would detract from the tension of the work.)
Known for being withdrawn and relatively difficult for paparazzi to engage with — and reluctant to give press or interviews without a co-star present — she is also known for having a strong presence on the screen and excels with little to minimal dialogue. Her more commercial endeavors (Mad Men, Inglourious Basterds, Avengers: Age of Ultron) in later years have seen her attempt to engage more with the public, and many note that the trajectory of her career and performances have vastly improved since 2007, perhaps due to truly coming into her own after trauma and grief. Her 2011 Best Actress Award for Melancholia at the closing ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival was dedicated to her sister.
Sadie Reinhart currently resides between New York City, NY, where her parents still reside, and Los Angeles.
MEDIA PERCEPTION
One wonders what might have become of Reinhart's career had her younger sister still lived. While she has seen some form of success on festival circuits (Venice, Cannes), the actress has been accused of giving increasingly 'one note' performances by her harsher critics. Reinhart's reputation for being difficult to interview has helped shape the majority of media attention; one Rolling Stone interview during press for Now You See Me famously suggested that the reasons for her three prior lunch cancelations were, "...perhaps tied closer to Alexis Jane's suicide than the elder Reinhart's PR team would have you believe."
While a statement has been released acknowledging Sadie's struggles with anxiety, the representative also stated that the Rolling Stone interview should be taken "with a grain of salt", and her health was a confidential discussion between her and her medical professional. When asked directly about her struggle articulating her persona to the public, Sadie has always simply said that she is an 'introvert' who gets along with people "much better off-camera."
Despite this, recieves relatively popular media attention from outlets such as Vulture, Variety and W Magazine. Her tight grip on her privacy and personal affairs, along with her penchant for rarely doing promotional interviews without a co-star present, has given her an unpopular perception that is often taken to the woodshed by those of more culture-savvy mediascapes (ONTD, Lainey, Perez, etc.). Her more mainstream endeavors within the Marvel franchise and limited TV work on AMC's Mad Men have been met without disdain or approval, with some briefly suggesting that the actress has taken reviews to heart about her indie performances.
