Kate Beckinsale
Photo: Iceposter.com
Kate Beckinsale was born in London on 26 July 1973. She is an English actress, known for her roles in the films Pearl Harbor (2001), Underworld (2003) and Van Helsing (2004).
Beckinsale is the daughter of actor Richard Beckinsale, who died from a heart attack in 1979, and actress Judy Loe. 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.
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. In April 2007, during an interview promoting Vacancy, Beckinsale claimed no knowledge of the rumors linking her to a remake of Barbarella. Beckinsale and her ex-boyfriend Michael Sheen have a daughter, Lily Mo Sheen. She reported in interviews that during her pregnancy with Lily was the only time she has ever stopped smoking. During the Underworld shoot, Beckinsale split from Sheen, who starred as her mortal enemy, Lucian, leader of the Lycans. She became involved 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. She is close friends with Victoria Beckham.
