Kate Beckinsale is an English actress and model. She has worked in both American and British films and television industry. She is known for her roles in the British films: Prince of Jutland (1994), Cold Comfort Farm (1995), Emma (1996), and The Golden Bowl (2000), and American films: Pearl Harbor (2001), Tiptoes (2003), The Aviator (2004), Click (2006) Underworld film series (2003–2016), Van Helsing (2004), Whiteout (2009), Contraband (2012), and Total Recall (2012).
Wiki/Biography
Kate Romary Beckinsale was born on Thursday, July 26, 1973 (age 47 years; as in 2020), in Chiswick, London. Her zodiac sign is Leo.
Kate Beckinsale as a Child
She did her schooling from Godolphin and Latymer School in London. During her school days, she was involved with the Orange Tree Youth Theatre, Richmond, South-West London, and learned acting there. She did her Bachelor’s in French and Russian Literature from New College, Oxford. As a Modern Languages student, she was required to spend her third year of graduation abroad and studied in Paris. She was a part of the Oxford University Dramatic Society, where she directed the play ‘A View from the Bridge’ with Tom Hooper, the British-Australian film and television director. She immigrated to Los Angeles in 2003, after coming into a relationship with Len Wiseman.
Physical Appearance
Height : 5′ 7″
Eye Color: Hazel
Hair Color: Brown (dyed Blonde)
Family & Ethnicity
She is of Burmese and English descent (her great grandfather was a Burmese).
Parents & Siblings
Kate Beckinsale was born to English actors Richard Beckinsale and Judy Loe.
Childhood Picture of Kate Beckinsale with her Parents
Kate Beckinsale’s Mother
She has a paternal half-sister named Samantha Beckinsale who is also an actress.
Samantha Beckinsale
When she was five years old, her father died of a heart attack. When she was nine, her mother moved in with the British television director Roy Battersby.
Kate Beckinsale with her Step-Father
She grew up alongside Roy’s four sons and daughter. According to her, David Bradley, the veteran English actor, is her godfather.
Kate Beckinsale with David Bradley
Relationships, Husband & Children
In 1995, she came in a relationship with Michael Sheen, Welsh actor, and political activist. Michael and Kate met in 1995 during the production of the play ‘The Seagull,’ and they shortly moved in after that.
Kate Beckinsale with Michael Sheen
In 1999, the couple welcomed their daughter, Lily.
Kate Beckinsale’s Daughter, Lily
Their relationship ended in 2003 but they remained close friends. In 2016 interview, talking about Michael, she said,
He’s really dear, close family. He’s somebody I’ve known since I was 21 years old. I really love him a lot.
In 2003, she met the American filmmaker Len Wiseman on the sets of the film ‘Underworld.’ Len and Kate fell in love and got married on May 9, 2004, in Bel-Air, California. Len and Kate announced their separation in 2015 with Len filing for a divorce in 2016. Their divorce was finalized in 2019.
Kate Beckinsale with Len Wiseman
In January 2019, she was dating the American comedian, actor, writer, and producer Pete Davidson, and by April 2019, they had broken up.
Kate Beckinsale with Pete Davidson
She has also been in a relationship with comedians: Matt Rife and Jack Whitehall.
Kate Beckinsale with Matt Rife
Jack Whitehall
In early 2020, Kate and musical artist Goody Grace made their relationship public. The duo is often seen hanging out together.
Kate Beckinsale with Goody Grace
Career
In Television
At the age of two, she made her television debut in the series Couples (1975) as a ‘Child.’ At the age of four, she was seen in ‘This Is Your Life,’ a British television series. In 1991, she was seen in the television series ‘Devices and Desires’ as ‘Young Alice Mair.’
Devices and Desires (1991)
She has acted in television programs such as Rachel’s Dream (1992; TV short), Anna Lee: Headcase (1993), Emma (1996), Alice Through the Looking Glass (1997), and The Widow (2019).
In Films
In 1993, she made her British film debut in the lead role of ‘Hero’ in ‘Much Ado About Nothing.’
Kate Beckinsale as ‘Hero’ in Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
She then appeared in Prince of Jutland (1994), Uncovered (1994), and Cold Comfort Farm (1995), while studying in University. During her stay in Paris, she made her French film debut with ‘Marie-Louise ou la Permission’ (1995) as ‘Marie-Louise.’
Marie-Louise ou la Permission (1995)
She has acted in the British films such as Haunted (1995), Emma (1996; TV movie), Shooting Fish (1997), Alice Through the Looking Glass (1998), The Golden Bowl (2000), Underworld (2003), The Face of an Angel (2014), Absolutely Anything (2015), and Farming (2018). In 1998, she made American film debut with ‘The Last Days of Disco’ as ‘Charlotte Pingress.’
Kate Beckinsale in The Last Days of Disco (1998)
She has acted in the American films such as Brokedown Palace (1999), Pearl Harbour (2001), Serendipity (2001), Laurel Canyon (2002), Tiptoes (2003), Van Helsing (2004), The Aviator (2004), Click (2006), Vacancy (2007), Nothing But Truth (2008), Whiteout (2009), Total Recall (2012), The Trials of Cate McCall (2013), Stonehearst Asylum (2014), The Disappointments Rooms (2016), The Only Living Boy in New York (2017), Jolt (2020), and El Tonto (2020).
Theatre & Radio
In 1995, she made her professional stage debut with ‘The Seagull’ as ‘Nina’ at the Theatre Royal, Bath. In 1996, she acted in two more plays: Sweetheart at The Royal Court Theatre and Clocks and Whistles at The Bush Theater. She has voiced the audiobooks: Emma (1997) for Hodder & Stoughton AudioBooks, The Proposal (1997) by BBC Radio 4, and Romeo & Juliet (as Juliet Capulet; 1997) for Naxos Audiobooks.
Modeling & Video Games
She has worked occasionally as a model. In 1997, she appeared in the music video of George Michael’s ‘Waltz Away Dreaming.’
She has worked in the advertisements for products such as Gap, Diet Coke, and Absolut Vodka.
Kate Beckinsale in an Advertisement for Diet Coke
She has also appeared in the Japanese advertisements for Lux hair products. She has voiced the characters of the video games: Underworld: The Eternal War (2004; as Selene), Van Helsing (2004; as Anna Valerious), and The Elder Scroll Online (2014; as Queen Ayernn).
Awards & Achievements
London Critics’ Circle Film Awards
- British Supporting Actress of the Year (tied with Minnie Driver) for the film ‘Last Days of Disco’ in 1999
- British Actress of the Year for the film ‘Love & Friendship’ in 2017
Other Awards
- Best Actress for the film ‘Shooting Fish’ at Sitges – Catalan International Film Festival in 1997
- Golden Schmoes Awards for Best T&A of the Year for the film ‘Underworld: Evolution’ in 2006
- Scream Award for Scream Queen ‘Underworld: Evolution’ in 2006
- Spike Guys Choice Awards for Jean-Claude Gahd Dam for the film ‘Underworld: Awakening’ in 2012
Kate Beckinsale with her Spike Guys Choice Award
- Costume Designers Guild Awards for Lacoste Spotlight Award in 2012
- Cinema Vanguard Award at San Diego Film Festival in 2016
- Evening Standard British Film Awards for Best Actress for the film ‘Love & Friendship’ in 2017
Kate Beckinsale with her Evening Standard British Film Awards
Controversies
- In July 2003, Kate filed a complaint against the Daily Mail for invading her and her daughter’s privacy to the Press Complaints Commission. Daily Mail had published photographs of Kate kissing and hugging her then-new boyfriend Len Wiseman and her daughter appearing to be ignoring her mother’s actions. The article was headlined ‘Mummy’s latest love scene leaves Lily unimpressed.’ The commission dismissed her complaints on the ground that ‘the photographs were in a public place and did not reveal any private details about Lily, such as her health or schooling.’
- In March 2003, Daily Mail published an article headlined ‘The real reason why Kate is single again,’ which contained false information about Kate, including that Kate had spent time in a clinic. In August 2003, Daily Mail published an official apology following the complaint brought by Kate to the Press Complaints Commission. Daily Mail, in their page 17, wrote,
We now understand that the claims we made were incorrect and we apologise to Kate for the distress and embarrassment she has been caused”
- In 2007, she faced criticism and was accused of being insensitive on social media when she linked anorexic girls to ‘crack whores’ in an interview. She had said,
I believe anorexia, alcoholism and drug abuse in teens are more about what is happening in the home than a problem with images in the media. “It is the nice girl’s way of becoming a crack whore.”
- In June 2009, Daily Express wrote an article alleging that Kate missed out to Rose McGowen (actress) to play the lead in a remake of Barbarella, the 1968 film that starred Jane Fonda. The article further claimed that Kate was feeling heartbroken for missing out on her dream role. Following the release of the article, Kate filed a case against Daily Express at the London High Court over false allegations by the newspaper. Kate was awarded £20,000 ($26082.40) by Daily Express for the harm and embarrassment caused to Kate by their article.
- In 2016, a man named Terry Lee Repp made physical contact with Kate and threatened to stab her at an event held at Salt Lake City, Utah. He continued to harass her by following her wherever she went. In 2017, Repp was finally arrested at Tampa Bay Comic Con for stalking the actress and was booked on a $500 bond.
- In 2018, she faced backlash after posting the results of her “Hollywood EGF Facial,” a treatment offered by the Georgia Louise Atelier in New York City and has been dubbed as “penis facial” because it includes a serum derived from the newborn-baby foreskin.
Net Worth
As of 2020, Kate Beckinsale’s net worth is $16 million.
Property
She owns a house in Brentwood on the westside of Los Angeles, California.
Kate Beckinsale’s House
Favorite Things
- Food: Maids of honor tart
- Restaurant(s): Theobroma Cacao in Turnham Green Terrace, London, Bedlington Café in Chiswick
- Public Landmark(s): Natural History Museum in London, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in Richmond, Bodleian Library in Oxford
- Departmental Store(s): Harrods in London, Marks & Spencer, Selfridges London, Rellik London
- Film(s): Au Revoir les Enfants (1987), All About Eve (1950), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Entre les Murs (2008)
- Actress(s): Jeanne Moreau, Meryl Streep, Bette Davis
- Director(s): Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott, Oliver Stone, David Gordon Green
Facts/Trivia
- In her spare time, she likes to read books, walk, exercise, do yoga, and listen to music.
- In her high school, she was very good at languages and English literature and won WH Smith Young Writers Award for both fiction and poetry twice.
- In her school days, she became friends with the British Character actor Roy Kinnear’s daughter, Kirsty Kinnear.
- Her father’s death was a perplexing and difficult time for her. According to her,
I used to get him confused with God and John Lennon because Lennon died a couple of years after he did and I kind of got the whole thing a bit muddled.”
- She decided to become an actress at the age of fifteen. Talking about it, she said,
I remember falling in love with French cinema when I was 15 years old. I went to Paris with my family every year for Easter and we used to go to the little cinemas around Saint-Michel to see classics like Les 400 Coups (The 400 Blows). That’s when I decided I wanted to be an actress. I have to say that I grew up immersed in film.”
- At the age of fifteen, she had a nervous breakdown and developed anorexia, an eating disorder. Following this, she underwent Freudian psychoanalysis for four years.
- She doesn’t drink but she is a smoker. She started smoking after she moved to her stepfather home, where his step-brothers introduced her to cigarettes. According to Kate,
I’ve never been drunk even. I’ve never taken drugs. I’ve never had a one-night-stand”
- As a child, she helped her family to sell The News Line, a Trotskyist newspaper. Her stepfather did a documentary called ‘The Palestinian’ (1977) with Vanessa Redgrave, and consequently, had his home phones tapped as Roy was blacklisted by the BBC.
- From November 2007 to February 2008, screenwriters of the American labor unions Writers Guild of America East (WGAE), and Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) went on strike demanding increased funding for the writers in comparison to the profits of the larger studios. It was targeted at the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers. In 2007, she appeared on internet video for the WGA’s campaign ‘Speechless’ conceived by the American filmmakers- George Hickenlooper and Alan Sereboff.
Kate Beckinsale in the Video of WGA’s Campaign ‘Speechless’
- In 2012, she was featured in the Funny or Die video ‘Republicans, Get in My Vagina’ alongside Judy Greer and Andrea Savage. The video is a satire of the Republican Party’s policies concerning abortion and pre-natal care.
- She has been donating to The British Heart Foundation ever since her father (who had a congenital heart defect) died of a massive heart attack.
- She has also donated film memorabilia (objects considered of value because of their connection to the cinema, which includes costumes, props, advertising posters, and scripts, among other things) to the Epidermolysis Bullosa Medical Research Foundation, MediCinema, Habitat For Humanity, and the Entertainment Industry Foundation.
- In 2008, she hosted the 4th Annual Pink Party to raise funds for the Women’s Cancer Research Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and organized a screening of ‘All About Eve’ for FilmAid International.
Kate Beckinsale at 4th Annual Pink Party
- In 2012, Beckinsale joined ‘Nestlé Share the Joy of Reading Program’ held at Barnes & Noble bookstore at The Grove (a shopping mall in Los Angeles) to raise awareness about the importance of literacy.
Kate Beckinsale Reading Books to Children at Nestlé Share the Joy of Reading Program
- She is an animal lover and has many pet dogs and cats; one of her cats is named Clive.
Kate Beckinsale’s Cat
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education