Leeves made her screen debut with a small role in 1983 on the British comedy television show "The Benny Hill Show", and appeared as a dancer in "Monty Python's The Meaning of Life". She moved to the United States, where she performed in small roles. From 1986 to 1988, she had her first leading role in the short-lived sitcom "Throb", and then secured a recurring part in the television sitcom "Murphy Brown". She received further recognition for roles in films such as "Miracle on 34th Street" (1994), "James and the Giant Peach" (1996), "Music of the Heart" (1999), and "The Event" (2003). In 2018, she began starring in the Fox medical drama, "The Resident".