Kate Beckinsale

Kathryn Bailey "Kate" Beckinsale (born 26 July 1973) is an English actress. She first gained notice, while a student at Oxford University, for making her debut in the film adaptation of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. Throughout the 1990s, she worked on both film and television, most notably by portraying the title character in the 1996 ITV television series Emma. In 2001, Beckinsale garnered international recognition when she was cast as the romantic lead opposite Ben Affleck in her breakthrough film, Pearl Harbor (2001). Since then, she has portrayed a variety of characters in projects such as Underworld (2003), The Aviator (2004), and Van Helsing (2004). In 2008, she earned a Critic's Choice Award nomination for her performance in Nothing But the Truth.

At Comic-Con 2007, Beckinsale expressed interest in playing Catwoman in the current Christopher Nolan-directed Batman films. In April 2007, during an interview promoting Vacancy, Beckinsale claimed no knowledge of the rumors linking her to a remake of Barbarella. "I was told on the set yesterday, a crew member Chris Pacpaco said, 'Oh I hear you're doing Barbarella,' he was one of the grips. So that's the most official it's become. Every woman would consider Barbarella for a moment, but I don't know." Beckinsale eventually won a libel lawsuit against the Daily Express concerning the matter.


Beckinsale is Esquire magazine's Sexiest Woman Alive 2009. She is signed to Independent Models in London.
As of 2009, Beckinsale's movies have grossed a total of $801,678,915 in the US. Beckinsale is also scheduled to appear in Underworld 4 in 2012.