Facts are facts, and thankfully IMDB is coming through to save the day for me! I don't want to make this too long because I don't want this post to be deleted for being off topic and you can check IMDB if you want to confirm this.
But yes, Michelle did do Halloween and a few other 'non-serious' movies ("Dick" was actually well received) but that was closer to the beginning of Dawson's Creek in 1998. But towards the middle of Dawson's and by the end her roles/strategy shifted and she was a part of HBO's film "If These Walls Could Talk", "The United States of Leland" with Don Cheadle and Ryan Gosling and "The Station Agent" also another well received film. So Michelle's films were either acclaimed or starred respected actors,
while she was still on Dawson's (I think she also was doing off-broadway then too, another example of her wanting to be taken seriously as an actress).
Then 2005 came and Brokeback Mountain took her to the next level but Michelle had already executed her strategy so she was already in a good place in terms of being seen as a respected actor. I believe Michelle would've still started her ascent to the A-list with Brokeback, even without the Heath relationship - it might've taken a little longer but it still would've happen.
Leighton, on the other hand? She was doing good with Country Strong starring Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow (starred in a movie with an Oscar winner) but then she did the Selena Gomez movie and the movie with Minka Kelly
after/was released after Country Strong. And there was the music career on top of that - moves an actor who wants to be taken seriously about their craft probably wouldn't do, imo.
And as people who obsess over fashion, I'm not sure why Blake going to attending fashion shows, parties and networking isn't counted as 'work' - it got her name out there, she made connections to get covers, roles - that's another important part of the work that goes into being a viable actress. Not everyone is Meryl Streep and the talent speaks for themselves. Some people take Blake's route and others take Michelle's but to reiterate my point you need to pick a strategy and execute if you want to have any possibility of carving your own path in the industry and not having to go to auditions and basically be a working actor, taking whatever you can get.
Leighton didn't do that, so I think her current station in her career/Hollywood is fitting. GG could have raised Leighton's profile if she put the work in (either like Michelle or Blake) but she didn't. Whether you agree with Blake's approach or not, you can't deny she didn't work for it.
So, imo, Leighton didn't deserve what Blake got from GG because she didn't work for it. So I guess ultimately we'll agree to disagree, but my Michelle example actually is a solid example and to get this thread back on track, I like the pic of Leighton in the car, I don't know why they didn't fix that cowlick.