Kate Beckinsale
Kate Beckinsale | |
|---|---|
 Beckinsale in the "54th Festival de Cine de San Sebastián". | |
| Born | Kathryn Bailey Beckinsale |
| Height | 5ft 8in (1.73 m) |
| Spouse | Len Wiseman (9 May 2004 - present) |
Kathryn Bailey "Kate" Beckinsale (born July 26, 1973) is an English actress, known for her roles in the films Pearl Harbor (2001), Van Helsing (2004), and Underworld (2003).
Biography
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 has said that she was "very oriental-looking" as a child.[1]
Beckinsale attended the private Godolphin and Latymer School,[2] 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.[3] 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.
Also in 2006, Beckinsale appeared in the Adam Sandler starring comedy-drama, Click, which opened on June 23. Next, Beckinsale replaced Sarah Jessica Parker[4] in the film Vacancy, released in 2007. Her next role will be in Snow Angels, which is in post-production and scheduled for release sometimes in 2008.
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 became involved with the director of the film, Len Wiseman.[5] In June 2003, Beckinsale became engaged to Wiseman, and the two were married on 9 May 2004 in Bel-Air, California.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Much Ado About Nothing | Hero | |
| 1994 | Uncovered | Julia | |
| 1995 | Cold Comfort Farm | Flora Poste | |
| Haunted | Christina Mariell | ||
| 1996 | Emma | Emma Woodhouse | made-for-television |
| 1998 | The Last Days of Disco | Charlotte Pingress | |
| Shooting Fish | Georgie | ||
| Alice Through the Looking Glass | Alice | made-for-television | |
| 1999 | Brokedown Palace | Darlene Davis | |
| 2001 | Serendipity | Sara Thomas | |
| Pearl Harbor | Nurse Lt. Evelyn Johnson | Nominated for Best Female Performance by MTV Movie Awards
Nominated for Worst Screen Couple (with Ben Affleck) by Razzie Awards Nominated for Best Film Chemistry (with Ben Affleck) by Teen Choice Award | |
| The Golden Bowl | Maggie Verver | ||
| 2002 | Laurel Canyon | Alex | |
| 2003 | Underworld | Selene | Nominated for Best Actress by Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films |
| Tiptoes | Carol | direct-to-video | |
| 2004 | The Aviator | Ava Gardner | |
| Van Helsing | Anna Valerious | ||
| 2006 | Click | Donna Newman | |
| Underworld: Evolution | Selene | ||
| 2007 | Vacancy | Amy Fox | |
| Snow Angels | Annie Marchand | ||
| 2008 | Winged Creatures | Filming | |
| Whiteout | Carrie Stetko | Filming | |
| April 23 | Melinda | In Talks |
References
- ^ "Beast in the beauty". The Age.com. Telegraph Magazine. Retrieved 2006-07-05.
- ^ "Old Dolphins' Association". Godolphin and Latymer School. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
- ^ "Box Office Mojo". WEEKEND BOX OFFICE January 20–22, 2006.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Kate Beckinsale joins VACANCY". Mania Movies.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Larger than life; Profile: Kate Beckinsale". Sunday Herald, The. 2003.
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External links
- { Kate Beckinsale Web } - website for the actress
- Kate Beckinsale at IMDb - article contains errors, however
- Template:Tvtome person
- Kate Beckinsale at People.com
- Newsweek Q&A (January 23, 2006)
- ComingSoon interview (January 20, 2006)
- The Daily Record interview (January 13, 2006)
- Cinema Confidential interview (May 5, 2004)
- The Age interview (April 25, 2004)
- IGN films interview (September 10, 2003)
- Interview with Kate Beckinsale at Dread Central