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Kathryn Bailey "Kate"
Beckinsale (born July 26, 1973 in London) is an English
actress. Her most popular films include Pearl Harbor
(2001), Van Helsing (2004), and Underworld (2003).
Early life: Kate Beckinsale was born in London to
Judy Loe, a stage and television actress, and Richard
Beckinsale, a television actor who died in 1979 at the
age of 31. She has a paternal half-sister, Samantha, who
is also an actress. Beckinsale's paternal
great-grandfather was Burmese, and Beckinsale claims
that she was "very oriental-looking" as a
child.
Beckinsale attended the private Godolphin and Latymer
School, and in her teens 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 University, 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.
Career: During her first year at Oxford,
Beckinsale was offered a part in Kenneth Branagh's
big-screen film, Much Ado About Nothing, adapted from
the Shakespeare play. She spent her last year of studies
in Paris, after which she decided to quit the university
and concentrate on her acting career. Kate starred in a
1996 TV film adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma. She
subsequently appeared in a few low-profile films,
including Shooting Fish and The Last Days of Disco (both
in 1998). During this time, Beckinsale also appeared in
television films and in stage roles, including the
well-received Cold Comfort Farm, opposite British silver
and small screen notables Rufus Sewell, Eileen Atkins,
and Joanna Lumley.
Her first major American film, Brokedown Palace (1999),
was not a commercial success. Soon after, Beckinsale was
cast in the 2001 film, Pearl Harbor as the female lead,
after actress Charlize Theron turned down the part. The
film was one of the highest grossing films of its year.
In the years following, she appeared in a series of
American films that were high-profile, but were given a
somewhat poor critical reception, including Serendipity
(2001), Underworld (2003) and Van Helsing (2004).
Notably, she appeared as Ava Gardner in The Aviator, a
role for which she gained 20 pounds.
In 2006, Beckinsale was placed at #23 in FHM's "100
Sexiest Women in the World", after being #71 in
2005. She has also been placed at #16 in Maxim's
"HOT 100" (2003), #63 in Stuff's "100
Sexiest Women in the World" (2002), and was chosen
by the English magazine Hello! as "England’s #1
Beauty", also in 2002.
In January 2006, Beckinsale reprised her role as a
vampire in the movie Underworld: Evolution, a sequel to
her 2003 film, Underworld, again directed by her
husband, Len Wiseman. The film opened at the #1 spot at
the box office, grossing over $26 million in its first
weekend of release. On January 24, 2006, Beckinsale was
featured on the MTV series, Punk'd. The set-up for the
segment took place at the Avalon Hotel in Los Angeles.
Beckinsale's most recent role was in the Adam Sandler
starring comedy-drama, Click, which opened on June 23,
2006. Her next film will be Snow Angels, which is
currently in post-production and will be released in
2007. A September 2006 article in the Hollywood Reporter
announced that Beckinsale has signed on to replace Sarah
Jessica Parker in the film Vacancy.
Personal life: Beckinsale and her ex-boyfriend
Michael Sheen have a daughter, Lily Mo Sheen (born
January 31, 1999). She reported in interviews that
during her pregnancy with Lily was the only time she's
ever stopped smoking. During the Underworld's shoot,
Beckinsale split from Sheen, who starred as her mortal
enemy, Lucian, leader of the lycans, and hooked up with
the director of the film, Len Wiseman. In June 2003,
Beckinsale became engaged to Wiseman, and the two were
married on 9 May 2004 in Bel-Air, California. |
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