Kate Beckinsale - Biography

Last Editor: becky6				Kate Beckinsale Biography -   Name : Kate Beckinsale Birth Date : July 26, 1973 Birth Place : London, England Education : Godolphin and Latymer School, London, England;New College, Oxford University, Oxford, England; majored in French and Russian literature; dropped out a Height : 175cm (5' 8 Weight : 52kg (115lb) Hair Colour : Naturally Brown Eyes : Brown Occupation : Actress, Model Claim to fame : Feature film debut as Hero in Kenneth Branagh's film version of Much Ado About Nothing (1993)

Kate Beckinsale Trivia -

Studied French and Russian literature while a student at Oxford. Studied at New College Oxford, but left to pursue her acting career before completing her degree course. Her mother, Judy Loe is an actress, and her father, Richard Beckinsale, was famous as a comedy actor. Attended grade/primary school at Flexlands Private School in London, England, she took ballet there and it was at this young age that her father died of a heart attack. Half-sister of Samantha Beckinsale. Got the lead female role in Pearl Harbor (2001) after Charlize Theron pulled out to do Sweet November (2001). Lost out to Juliette Binoche for a part in Wuthering Heights (1992). Has a daughter, Lily Mo Sheen (b. 31 January 1999), with Welsh actor Michael Sheen. Suffers from stomach ulcers. According to an interview she gave on the UK show "The Big Breakfast" (1992) (December 2001), she hates wearing knickers. Selected by Hello Magazine as England's Number #1 Beauty.(2002) Richard Beckinsale's maternal grandfather - her great-grandfather - was Burmese. June 2003: Engaged to director Len Wiseman. Married Len Wiseman on 9th May 2004 at the Bel-Air Hotel. Her daughter, Lily, received her own "wedding ring" from Wiseman. Half sister-in-law of Richard Trinder. Spent her teens reading French, Russian and German novels because of her studies, and completed A-levels in Russian, German and French, which resulted in her admission to Oxford University. Won the prestigious WH Smith's Young Writers' competition two years running, once for her short stories, once for poetry. Ranked #63 in Stuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women In The World" (2002) Shares a birthday with Sandra Bullock, Kevin Spacey and Jeremy Piven. Was in close competition for the role of Rachel Keller in The Ring (2002), but lost out because producers felt she looked too young. Normally slender, she gained twenty pounds for roles in 2004 - ten pounds for Van Helsing (2004) and another ten pounds to portray the voluptuous Ava Gardner in The Aviator (2004). Has played a vampire (Underworld (2003)) and a vampire hunter (Van Helsing (2004)). Was listed as a potential nominee on both the 2005 and 2007 Razzie Award nominating ballots. She was listed as a suggestion in the Worst Actress category on the 2005 ballot for her performance in the film Van Helsing (2004) and again two years later in the same category for her roles in the films Click (2006/I) and Underworld: Evolution (2006). She failed to receive either nomination. Named #23 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2005 list. Met Len Wiseman when he directed her in Underworld (2003). Ranked as #71 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005" special supplement. (2005) She did not like Physical Education at school. It was also her worst subject. Was anorexic as a teenager Lives in Venice, California because it reminds her of London. Named #78 in FHM magazine's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006" supplement. (2006). Replaced Sarah Jessica Parker after she dropped out from the film Vacancy (2007). Ranked #21 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2007 list. Director Stephen Sommers wanted Kate for the role of "Anna Valerious" in Van Helsing (2004). But Stephen feared that it was too similar in tone to Underworld (2003), a film that Kate started and was filming at the time. Eventually, her agent got Sommers to send the script and Kate immediately signed on. Ranked as #12 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women 2008" (2008). Ranked as #10 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World". Had an emergency appendectomy in January, 2004.

Kate Beckinsale Detailed Biography -

Kate Beckinsale Loe was born on July 26th, 1973, in London to two seasoned British television actors, and has spent most of her life in her place of birth. She made her acting debut in a television WWII drama called One Against the Wind and was soon cast in a short corporate film about industrial accidents. In 1991, Kate attended Oxford University's New College, where she majored in French and Russian Literature. She already knew that she was going to pursue a career in drama, but in order to broaden her horizons she decided to attend a regular university rather than a school geared towards drama and other fine arts. In 1992, she landed the role of Hero in the film adaptation of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing (co-starring Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, and Keanu Reeves). Upon receiving three more roles in European productions, Kate dropped out of her studies. Up next for Kate was a role in the 1994 BBC television satire, Cold Comfort Farm (with Ian McKellen), which opened to rave reviews in American art-house theaters and was a smash hit by indie standards. She continued performing in British theater for the next few years and added some more films to her resum, including Emma, Haunted, and Marie-Louise ou la permission. In 1998, Kate returned to American shores in the film Brokedown Palace, with Claire Danes and Bill Pullman, and starred in the indie films Shooting Fish and The Last Days of Disco, co-starring Chlo? Sevigny. After a role in The Golden Bowl, Kate had a stellar year, being cast in the $150-million Touchstone pic, Pearl Harbor and the romantic comedy Serendipity, co-starring John Cusack. Kate also starred in the thriller Underworld, in which she plays a vampire warrior playing an assistant vampire hunter to Hugh Jackman in Van Helsing. Also, she is currently shooting a film entitled The Aviator, co-starring Cate Blanchett and Leonardo DiCaprio.