Kathrin Romary "Kate" Beckinsale (born 26 July 1973) is an English actress. After some minor television roles, she made her film debut in Much Ado About Nothing (1993) while still a student at the University of Oxford. She then appeared in British costume dramas such as Prince of Jutland (1994), Cold Comfort Farm (1995), Emma (1996), and The Golden Bowl (2000), in addition to various stage and radio productions. She began to seek film work in the United States in the late 1990s and, after appearing in small-scale dramas The Last Days of Disco (1998) and Brokedown Palace (1999), she had a break-out year in 2001 with starring roles in the war drama Pearl Harbor and the romantic comedy Serendipity. She built on this success with appearances in the Martin Scorcese's The Aviator (2004) and the comedy Click (2006).
Since being cast as Selene in the Underworld film series (from 2003 to 2016), Beckinsale has become known primarily known for her work in action films including Van Helsing (2004), Whiteout (2009), Contraband (2012), and Total Recall (2012). She also continues to make appearances in smaller dramatic projects such as Snow Angels (2007), Nothing but the Truth (2008), and Everybody's Fine (2009). In 2016, she won acclaim for her role in Whit Stillman's Jane Austen comedy Love & Friendship.
| Born |
Kathrin Romary Beckinsale
26 July 1973 (age 42)
Chiswick, London, England |
| Alma mater |
New College, Oxford |
| Occupation |
Actress, model |
| Years active |
1991–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Len Wiseman (m. 2004; separated 2015) |
| Partner(s) |
Michael Sheen (1995–2003) |
| Children |
1 |
| Parent(s) |
Richard Beckinsale
Judy Loe |