Kate Beckinsale
Biography
Kate Beckinsale was born on July 26, 1973, to two seasoned British television actors, and spent most of her life in London. Her half-sister, Samantha, is also an actress; they only met briefly when Kate was very young and didn't cross paths again until 1995.
Beckinsale attended the private Godolphin and Latymer School, an all-girls independent school in London. In her teens, Beckinsale twice won the W. H. Smith Young Writers' competition — once for three short stories and once for three poems. After a rebellious adolescence, including a period of anorexia and starting a smoking habit, she followed in the footsteps of her parents and began her acting career. Her first role was in One Against the Wind, a television film about World War II that was first aired in 1991. Having gained three language A levels, Beckinsale studied French and Russian literature at New College, Oxford, though she did not finish her degree. She thought that having an academic background studying foreign language and literature would broaden her range of acting roles.
Kate Beckinsale made her acting debut in a television WWII drama called One Against the Wind (1991), and was soon cast in a short corporate film about industrial accidents.
kate beckinsale at oxfordIn 1991, Kate Beckinsale left for Oxford University's New College, where she majored in French and Russian literature. She already knew that she was going to be an actress, but in order to broaden her horizons, she decided to attend a regular university rather than drama school.
In 1993, she starred as Hero in the film adaptation of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. Thanks to her role, she had the chance to travel to Tuscany, Italy, where the film was being shot. She eventually dropped out of her studies after winning the role in three other European productions.
kate beckinsale in brokedown palace
Up next for Kate Beckinsale was a role in the 1995 BBC television satire Cold Comfort Farm, which opened to rave reviews in American art house theaters and was a hit by indie standards. She continued performing in British theater for the next few years, and added some more forgettable films to her resume.
After the indie films Shooting Fish (1997) and The Last Days of Disco (1998), Kate Beckinsale costarred with Claire Danes in 1999's Brokedown Palace.
kate beckinsale in pearl harbor
After starring in James Ivory's The Golden Bowl (2000), Kate Beckinsale joined Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett for the 2001 Bruckheimer-bloated epic Pearl Harbor. And she made her bid to become the next Meg Ryan in the romantic comedy Serendipity in the fall of 2001.
The talented actress was also juggling motherhood during this time, as she had a daughter, Lily Sheen, whose father is actor Michael Sheen, in January 1999.kate beckinsale in van helsing
After 2002's Laurel Canyon, Kate Beckinsale starred as Selene in Underworld (2003), joined Hugh Jackman in the fight against monsters in Van Helsing (2004) and portrayed Ava Gardner in the Oscar-winning The Aviator (2004).
Kate Beckinsale Filmography
Whiteout (2008) .... Carrie Stetko
Vacancy (2007)
Snow Angels (2007) .... Annie
Click (2006) .... Donna Newman
Underworld: Evolution (2006) .... Selene
The Aviator (2004) .... Ava Gardner
Van Helsing (2004) .... Anna Valerious
Tiptoes (2003) .... Carol
-- aka Tiny Tiptoes
Underworld (2003) .... Selene
Laurel Canyon (2002) .... Alex
Serendipity (2001) .... Sara Thomas
Pearl Harbor (2001) .... Nurse Lt. Evelyn Johnson
-- aka Pearl Harbour
The Golden Bowl (2000) .... Maggie Verver
Brokedown Palace (1999) .... Darlene Davis
Alice Through the Looking Glass (1998) (TV) .... Alice
The Last Days of Disco (1998) .... Charlotte Pingress
Shooting Fish (1997) .... Georgie
Emma (1996) (TV) .... Emma Woodhouse
Haunted (1995) .... Christina Mariell
Marie-Louise ou la permission (1995) .... Marie-Louise
Cold Comfort Farm (1995) (TV) .... Flora Poste
Prince of Jutland (1994) .... Ethel
-- aka Royal Deceit
Uncovered (1994) .... Julia
Much Ado About Nothing (1993) .... Hero
Anna Lee: Headcase (1993) (TV) .... Thea Hahn
Rachel's Dream (1992) (TV) .... Rachel
One Against the Wind (1991) (TV) .... Barbe Lindell
"Devices and Desires" (1991) (TV Mini Series) .... Young Alice Mair (voice)
She married Underworld director Len Wiseman on May 9, 2004.
kate beckinsale in click
In 2005, Kate Beckinsale donned her unforgettable latex outfit once again for Underworld: Evolution. She also appeared in the 2006 comedy Click starring Adam Sandler. In 2007, Kate Beckinsale revisited the darker side we saw in Underworld when she appeared in the 2007 horror flick Vacancy alongside Luke Wilson.
